Reviving Disinvested Places, Economies, and Communities - College of Architecture and Planning

FEB 2, 2026 | 4:00 PM | ARCHITECTURE BUILDING RM 100

Please join the College of Architecture and Planning on Monday, February 2, 2026, at 4:00 PM in AB100 for a lecture by William (Bill) Taft, Director of Interurban at the Sagamore Institute.

Deindustrialization has devastated thousands of communities over the past half-century, many of which have not recovered despite significant investment in traditional economic development. To reverse this trend, urban design, planning, and development practitioners must work alongside community and economic developers to help communities rebuild by leveraging their unique local assets and identities. Drawing on 35 years of experience leading transformative neighborhoods, citywide, and national initiatives, Bill Taft will explore how this work can reshape disinvested places and the people who live in them.

In this lecture, Reviving Disinvested Places, Economies, and Communities, Mr. Taft will examine the lasting impacts of deindustrialization and explore how grassroots, incremental, and design-informed approaches can help communities rebuild around their unique local assets.

DISCUSSION POINTS

Understand how deindustrialization reshaped communities and its ongoing impact across the Midwest
Examine why traditional economic development policies have fallen short—and how design disciplines have often been complicit
Identify emerging community-based strategies that are producing results and the critical role design plays in their success
Explore how grassroots, incremental, and sustainable investments can revive communities—and how you can contribute, even if it means becoming a developer

BIO

William G. (Bill) Taft is the Director of Interurban, a center within the Sagamore Institute that links community and economic development to help communities enhance quality of life. He leads a multidisciplinary team focused on economic development, affordable housing, small business ecosystems, workforce partnerships, real estate finance, urban design, and the adaptive reuse of disinvested commercial areas. Interurban works with local governments, foundations, and community organizations to design and implement transformative, sustainable projects that creatively leverage public, private, and philanthropic resources.

Bill is also a managing partner at Full Circle Development, a social venture building entry-level homes in urban Indianapolis, and serves on several nonprofit and civic boards.

Previously, Bill spent 20 years in leadership roles at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), including as Senior Vice President for Economic Development, where he led national inclusive economic development efforts across 38 local programs. Earlier in his career, he served as president of Southeast Neighborhood Development, Inc., guiding major investments in the revitalization of Indianapolis’s Fountain Square neighborhood.

Bill holds a master’s degree in Historic Preservation and Urban Planning from Ball State University, a bachelor’s degree from Cedarville University, and an executive leadership certificate from Harvard University.

ECAP lectures are free and open to the public.
For more information email caplectures@bsu.edu