The El Paso, Texas/Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua metroplex--the center of the Paso del Norte region and the world’s largest binational metropolitan area-- is the ideal laboratory for social, economic and policy research. The Institute for Policy and Economic Development (IPED), located at the University of Texas at El Paso, is a key component in university’s commitment to deepen public understanding of the issues that face the culturally diverse community of tomorrow. The Institute’s interdisciplinary approach to research design, data collection, and analysis provides the Institute’s clientele with objective, timely information that forms the framework needed for public policy investigation.