About Us
A "Think-and-Do" Tank
Re-establishing a Culture of City Building
Our collective ability to create beautiful, sustainable places that support thriving communities has faded... but it isn't lost.
The Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative is a “Think-and-Do Tank” that provides assistance to municipalities and nonprofit organizations to improve economic development by reimagining the built environment.
Our work makes an immediate local impact in communities, which serve as case studies that have national and global influence.
Who We Are
Our work targets immediate local impact as well as national and global influence through three interrelated activities: actionable projects, research, and education. Faculty, students, and collaborating professional teams carry out these activities under the leadership of the school’s dean, Stefanos Polyzoides, and the initiative’s director, Marianne Cusato.
The work carried out under the Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative is grounded in the principles of New Traditional Architecture and New Urbanism. Central to this initiative is the belief that, as stewards of our built environment, we must seek to facilitate a robust social infrastructure and create a better world for future generations by developing and promoting beautiful, enduring buildings within human-scale, walkable communities.
Areas of Focus
Regional Impact
Partner organizations and cities who engage in charrettes with us come away with a clear action plan, positioning them to effectively raise funds for and execute critical improvement and development projects.
Over $120 Million In Grant Funding for Our Partners
in grant funding secured by the City of Kalamazoo, MI to implement charrette recommendations.
for Habitat for Humanity to support the development of 60 mixed-income "Missing Middle" housing units.
in grant funding received by the City of South Bend, IN to engineer the removal of a failed cloverleaf intersection.
in vertical development and blight reduction funds awarded to the City of Gary, IN
The City of Elkhart, IN has begun implementation of charrette recommendations in Benham West.
Why Us — Why Now?
Cities throughout the United States are struggling to address critical housing shortages, maintain a crumbling infrastructure, and reckon with the decreased quality of life resulting from a legacy of shortsighted federal and state housing and transportation policies. These issues are especially acute in the post-industrial Midwest where most cities have been in sharp decline since the Urban Renewal period of the 1960s.
Investing in Walkable Communities
Communities are in dire need of regeneration but generally lack the financial and human resources to do so. The future economic viability of a municipality depends on its ability to attract and maintain a skilled workforce. Today’s workforce is resoundingly choosing to move to cities that prioritize placemaking by investing in a walkable downtown core.
