Lincoln Institute Brings Accelerating Community Investment Convening to Cincinnati
In July, The Port hosted the Accelerating Community Investment (ACI) National Community of Practice Convening, an initiative of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The two-day gathering brought community leaders, investors, and practitioners from across the country to Cincinnati to exchange ideas and advance strategies for mission-driven investment.
The convening opened at ARCO in East Price Hill, where Greg Robinson, II, Executive Director of Price Hill Will, welcomed participants and emphasized the vital role community development corporations play in neighborhood revitalization. His remarks framed the discussions that followed, underscoring the connection between local leadership and national strategies for equitable investment.
Over the course of two days, attendees participated in panel sessions and peer exchanges that highlighted innovative approaches to financing community development. National examples from New Orleans, Cleveland, and Dallas offered lessons on affordable housing and financing strategies, while the Brookings Institution, Local Return Rhode Island, and the National Coalition for Community Capital shared broader models for scaling investment and building resilient communities.
The convening also highlighted Cincinnati’s leadership in place-based investment. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation presented ideas to align capital with community priorities, particularly in neighborhoods facing chronic disinvestment. A mobile tour gave participants a firsthand look at Port and Landbank projects, including CARE Home renovations now in the hands of new homeowners and remediation efforts at the long-vacant Lunkenheimer building in South Fairmount. The tour concluded in Bond Hill at Emerge Manufacturing, where President and CEO Cynthia Booth described how investment in local businesses and entrepreneurs can spark opportunity and job creation.
The final day featured remarks from Mayor Aftab Pureval, who thanked attendees and reaffirmed the City’s commitment to expanding the impact of place-based investment. His comments reflected a core goal of the Lincoln Institute’s ACI initiative: bringing stakeholders together to shape how capital is deployed in communities and ensuring it builds an economy that offers access to opportunity for all.