LISC MetroEdge Commercial Corridor Briefs

Economic development is a critical component of any successful comprehensive community development approach. As cities face shrinking municipal budgets and rising economic inequality, they don’t have the time or resources to invent solutions from scratch. They are looking for concrete examples of successful strategies they can adapt for use in their own neighborhoods.

LISC MetroEdge helps cities and nonprofit developers create viable commercial corridor and economic development strategies by giving them data and tools they can use to capture the market potential of their communities. LISC MetroEdge performed a scan of cities around the country and came up with four strong examples of successful commercial corridor initiatives. These examples are now available as brief case studies, posted below.

While these briefs were prepared specifically for the new commissioner of the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department, LISC MetroEdge has since shared them with other city governments that are eager to adapt and learn from successful initiatives. The four briefs – Baltimore’s Opportunity Collaborative, Boston’s Main Streets program, Philadelphia’s Commercial Corridors program and Corridors of Opportunity in the Twin Cities – present a range of effort and impact from which any city or nonprofit can glean useful information.

Each brief includes an overview of the program or initiative, a description of the funding and partnerships that make each program work, and information on how the programs integrate commercial corridor revitalization with housing, transportation and other fundamental pillars of comprehensive community development.