Where We Work
Every neighborhood is a unique tapestry—a complex system of interconnected, moving parts. That is precisely why no single solution can ever hope to address all of a struggling neighborhood’s needs. Disinvested places must be revived on multiple fronts. LISC helps residents and local organizations do just that.
We invest in overlapping program areas that reach into every corner of community life. Our approach is comprehensive, effective and—most important—rooted in what neighbors want for themselves, their families and the places they call home.
Communities rich with opportunity and physical assets are a prerequisite for healthy, happy lives and a strong society. We work with partners to support vital local economies and safe, affordable places to live, work and go to school. This takes many forms, including preservation and construction of affordable housing, commercial and industrial district development, creative placemaking, transit-oriented development, sustainable building and disaster resiliency and community-law enforcement partnerships.
LISC prioritizes investments to organizations and institutions that have created a collective vision for their neighborhood, as formalized in a Quality-of-Life Plan (QOL), and are actively working toward that vision. In addition, Great Places is a visionary community development project that transforms strategic places in Marion County neighborhoods into dynamic centers of culture, commerce and community, preparing Indianapolis for unprecedented success.
Near East
Located just outside the heart of downtown Indianapolis, the Near Eastside includes 20 different neighborhoods with 30,000-plus residents who actively seek to preserve the historic character and cultural diversity of the area. Its combination of green space, businesses, homes, and schools makes it a geographically convenient and asset-rich place to live, work, and play.
Near East Quality of Life Plan
Corresponding Great Places Plan: Englewood Village
Near West
Bordered by White River Parkway, the Near West was incorporated as Indianapolis’s first suburb in 1888, and is among the oldest Indianapolis neighborhoods. The Near West boasts easy access to downtown, 19 parks and recreational areas, and popular neighborhood eateries. Surrounded by major state and national attractions such as the White River State Park museums, the Indianapolis Zoo, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, residents regard the Near West as one of the safest and most convenient places to live in Indianapolis.
Near West Quality-of-Life Plan
Corresponding Great Places Neighborhood: Near West
Northwest Area
The Northwest Area of Indianapolis is located just northwest of downtown Indianapolis. It is an urban residential neighborhood of six square miles, framed by high traffic commuter streets, an interstate highway, waterways, and a historic cemetery. The neighborhood has a unique and complex history. During the late 19th and early 20th century, it included Indianapolis’ Millionaire Row. Wealthy white pioneers of the early automobile industry were settling in the north and west areas of the community even as Black families were settling in the south and eastern parts of the community. Construction and development plateaued in the years prior to World War II and declined thereafter, due in part to the middle class migration to the suburbs. From 1960 to the present day, the Northwest has been an almost exclusively Black neighborhood of working class neighbors increasingly grappling with the impacts of population loss and disinvestment.
Northwest Area Quality-of-Life Plan
Corresponding Great Places Neighborhood: King Commons
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor includes the diverse areas of King Park, Martindale Brightwood, Millersville at Fall Creek Valley, and United Northeast. It encompasses 14 neighborhood associations and boasts of the natural beauty of Fall Creek, the connectivity of the Monon Trail, and the State Fairgrounds as an anchor institution.
Northeast Corridor Quality-of-Life Plan
Mid North
Developed in the early part of the 20th century when bridges and streetcars first crossed historic Fall Creek, the Mid-North neighborhood has a history of embracing innovation, integration, and education. In the heart of Indianapolis, Mid-North is now home to more than 10,000 residents from six neighborhoods that cover three square miles. What began in the 19th century as farmland with a few stopping points for travelers has since developed into the six neighborhoods that we know today as Crown Hill, Highland Vicinity, Historic Meridian Park, Mapleton Fall Creek, Meridian Highland, and Watson-McCord.
Mid North Quality-of-Life Plan
Corresponding Great Places Neighborhood: Maple Crossing
Southeast
The near-southeast side of Indianapolis is a densely-populated, historic cluster of neighborhoods, which have housed a mix of residences, commercial establishments, and manufacturers since the 1880s. This cluster of communities covers approximately five square miles and includes hundreds of churches, a rich mix of community organizations, many homes, and thriving businesses. As a convener and community builder of the southeast side, SEND takes a grassroots approach alongside residents, assisting communities by elevating neighbors’ voices to activate the changes they desire to see in their neighborhoods. For this reason, SEND serves as convener in the Southeast Quality of Life Plan and South Indy Quality of Life Plan.
Southeast Quality-of-Life Plan
Corresponding Great Places Neighborhood: Twin Aire
