Innovation Districts and Community Building: An Effective Strategy for Community Economic Development?

Innovation districts are being advocated for their potential to create or revitalize communities, produce neighborhoods with housing near work, and benefit surrounding communities by creating jobs for a wide range of skill sets. However, these aspirations are often mismatched with the application of innovation districts. Analyzing four innovation districts (Boston, Detroit, St. Louis, and San Diego), we demonstrate how the direction of innovation district development determines whether community goals are realized. Promoting innovation involves prioritizing high-skilled workers. When real estate development takes center stage, market demands become the focus. The construction of high-end housing, entertainment, and retail amenities may leave affordable housing options for lower-skilled workers as secondary considerations. Surging real estate prices within and around an innovation district can eventually push out long-standing residents, further negating the innovation district as a space for a diversity of people, ages, resources, and amenities.