Implementing Innovation Districts: From Vision to Reality Post-COVID

In light of cities still facing significant commercial vacancies post-COVID, many communities are looking to the knowledge economy to support commercial and economic development. Building from this panel’s national experience with innovation district development, we will explore the key ingredients for designing and implementing successful innovation districts, answering the following questions:

- What is the innovation economy? Why are cities and institutions focused on innovation districts?
- Why are developers and private capital interested in innovation and life sciences development, particularly post pandemic?
- What are the key ingredients for moving these districts forward?
- What are anchor institutions and what role do they play in development?
- What kinds of public-private partnerships make these districts possible?
- How do we think about equity in innovation districts and planning?

This panel brings together four practitioners who have worked across the country on large-scale innovation districts, at all phases of development. We will explore the early visioning and design phases, the private real estate market perspective, and precedent public-private partnerships that have been created to catalyze risky and untested development, helping attendees understand how and why their community may be able to tap into its knowledge economy for inclusive economic growth.

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