Transforming places
Neighborhoods flourish when residents have access to living wage jobs and the goods and services they need. Working to reposition disinvested legacy commercial and industrial districts, LISC pools funding and technical support from a diverse set of investors and funders and then deploys these resources to stimulate economic revitalization and community vitality.
In partnership with national and local economic development agencies and analysts, LISC helps communities identify unmet market opportunities. LISC then works with community partners to tap into these opportunities to revive outdated factories, storefronts and infrastructure in business districts overcoming decades of abandonment and blight. This creates opportunities for business attraction and expansion in areas that are particularly accessible to economically isolated communities.
LISC further strengthens commercial and industrial districts by supporting talent development initiatives that build the community’s skill base while ramping up job pathways and connections to the local employer network. This includes promoting and enhancing ties between entrepreneurs and anchor institutions and nearby communities. As an intermediary, LISC is ideally positioned to advance a shared value proposition that meets the needs of these diverse community stakeholders.
LISC also harnesses the power of creative businesses and distinct local cultural assets that can spark district vitality through its creative placemaking programming. Through technical assistance, financing, and research, LISC leverages the unique ability of arts and culture to empower people to build prosperous, resilient and socially connected communities.