Indianapolis Industrial Sites – Economic Development and Land-Use Framework

This project, for LISC Indianapolis, created an economic development-land use framework to support the revitalization of industrial districts in Indianapolis. Mass Economics and the project team first developed profiles of 10 potential economic clusters, analyzing each cluster’s past and projected growth, job quality and accessibility, urban contribution, and preliminary locational preferences and building/site requirements. After extensive on-theground interviews and industrial district site visits, the project team narrowed the cluster opportunities to Local B2B and Food Manufacturing/Distribution. The study identified changing location patterns – e.g. distance from highway exits and railroad siding access – and building and site demands – e.g. building size, site acreage, presence and number of loading docks, etc – for each cluster and the sub-clusters within them. Firms within each sub-cluster were also mapped to identify corridors and clusters of activity throughout the city. Using these data and the learnings from the interviews, the project team authored cluster growth strategies and recommendations to guide client investments, programming, and policy interventions in the development of the city’s industrial corridors.