Memphis

Our 2016-2017 work in Memphis applied IncDev principles to a large area called the Memphis Medical District to prime the area for workforce housing. We were recruited because a number of medical institutions were unsure how to make the most of their land holdings. They had purchased lots dispersed throughout the area surrounding the hospitals, but none of the lots were especially large and the local market did not support new development. These institutions realized that in order to create quality workforce housing and nearby amenities for their staff, they'd need to jump in together to change the prospects of the market and learn how to work on small lots.

Cultivating Talent

We held a series of training sessions in Memphis to recruit and train local people to perform this development. The Medical District neighborhoods were distressed but not empty so the goal was to generate local prosperity by improving the opportunity and skills of area residents. We held recruitment lectures, two workshops, a boot camp and provided basic technical assistance for about 10 small developer projects at various stages. This has helped cultivate new talent in the development ecosystem and has inspired more confidence in locals who have hesitated to invest.

Implementation Clinic

To investigate how city-level planning issues are affecting work on the ground in the Medical District, we held an Implementation Clinic in March 2017. This helped build relationships and understanding across public and private development groups.

Master Developer

There is more capacity building work to be done so the Medical District is currently engaging a master developer whose role will be to set the stage for the small lot development of our alumni. In particular, this master developer will oversee infrastructure improvements that small developers can’t take on themselves.