northwest indiana forum
Ignite the Region
the introduction
In late 2017, multiple organizations and communities in Northwest Indiana launched an ambitious effort to develop the first economic development strategic plan for the seven-county region, including Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Pulaski, and Starke. TIP Strategies was engaged in February 2018 to facilitate the planning process and to develop the planning documents. Over the course of eight months, a broad coalition of regional partners and stakeholders came together to guide and inform this initiative. The end product—Ignite the Region: A Regional Strategy for Economic Transformation—was presented to the public in September 2018.
The Northwest Indiana Forum is currently leading an update of Ignite the Region: A Regional Strategy for Economic Transformation, the organization’s economic development strategic plan for Northwest Indiana. The 2025 update is focused on integrating arts, culture, tourism, and sustainability into the existing economic transformation strategy for the seven-county region, which includes Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Pulaski, and Starke counties.
In the coming months, the Forum will collaborate with a diverse coalition of organizations and communities across Northwest Indiana to shape and refine the initiative. The updated strategy will be unveiled this spring.
This effort is supported by the State of Indiana’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) program and is being guided by Public Sphere Projects, a national planning and placemaking consultancy.
