Multiple socio-economic factors contribute to the urgency of equitable development. Rising income inequality, the growing social justice movement, and demand for public and private sector accountability are among the most prevalent drivers. Equitable development prioritizes social resilience, environmental justice, economic opportunity, and the safety and health of communities. Increasingly, social impact outcomes-based requirements are also attached to incentive funding and city policies in public and private development ventures. While some developers recognize the differentiating value of equitable development as a viable long-term business model — and have invested in building their expertise and understanding — many others have yet to integrate this into their business. Even with the uptick of projects and discussion, there is still a lack of common understanding of what defines equitable development and how to best approach it — resulting in common missteps. From years 2019 to 2024, our team explored different dimensions of equitable development strategies alongside a wide range of partners. The research began with an external lens to understand the challenges facing communities and developers, and subsequently took an internal view within Gensler to apply the findings across all projects. Finally, we paired internal and external findings to implement a universal approach that supports industry practice and partners. This research works in tandem with Gensler’s Guide to Community Engagement — an internal framework for starting projects with local communities. It is also part of the Gensler Public Engagement Lab — a growing network working to holistically further equity work at Gensler through shared engagement and facilitation methodology and approach.