National Economic Development Leaders Gather in Cincinnati to Share Community Partnership and Innovation Best Practices

This week, Uptown Cincinnati served as a best practice example of economic inclusion, community and institutional partnerships, and innovation during the eighth annual Anchor District Forum. From Wednesday, September 11 to Friday, September 13, more than 35 professionals from 15 peer anchor districts across the country gathered to learn about Uptown Consortium, Inc.’s (UCI) community development efforts and progress of the Uptown Innovation Corridor.

The Anchor District Forum is an annual event where members of the Anchor District Council meet to share ideas and best practices for collaborative community development. The forum is hosted in a different city every year. The theme of this year’s forum is “Future-Focus.”

“We are excited to share Cincinnati with our peer anchor district friends and present the innovative institutional and community strengths that make Uptown Cincinnati a world-class anchor district,” said Beth Robinson, President and CEO, Uptown Consortium, Inc. “The continued development of the Uptown Innovation Corridor strengthens Uptown’s identity as an innovation district as well as an anchor district.”

Attendees joined panel discussions with UCI’s institutional and community partners as well as JobsOhio, REDI, MORTAR, HCDC, WEB Ventures LLC and more, to learn innovation- and community-focused strategies that they can implement in their own anchor districts.

“Convening our annual national peer exchange in Cincinnati presents a great opportunity to explore the anchor based inclusive growth strategies of the Uptown Consortium,” said Chris Ronayne, President, University Circle Inc., the founder of The Anchor District Council. “There is extraordinary work happening in the Uptown district and throughout the city of Cincinnati, providing our visiting cities best practices to draw from. What’s emerging here is a model innovation corridor between anchor district partners.”

During the three-day event, UCI toured guests around Uptown, including the Corridor, UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and more. In addition, attendees visited Over-the-Rhine and the Banks to highlight the many neighborhoods and amenities Cincinnati offers. 

Anchor districts are defined as areas with clusters of educational, medical and arts institutions that “anchor” the neighborhood. Uptown is anchored by five institutions—the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, UC Health, TriHealth and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden—which founded UCI in 2004.

For more information about UCI, visit www.uptowncincinnati.com.

Beth Robinson is the President and CEO of the Uptown Consortium, a nonprofit community development corporation dedicated to the economic development of Uptown Cincinnati. To learn more about the Uptown Innovation Corridor, visit www.uptowncincinnati.com.