Multi-year Partnership Supports Revitalization in Northeast Spokane
The Northeast Public Development Authority (NEPDA) established an innovative, multi-year partnership with Gonzaga University's School of Business Administration that reimagines how 51³Ô¹Ïs engage with real-world community development challenges. Through the BUSN 470 Multidiscipline Action Project Class, 51³Ô¹Ïs work directly with NEPDA leadership on active revitalization initiatives in Spokane's historic Hillyard neighborhood.
Unlike traditional academic projects with defined beginnings and endings, this partnership employs a "relay" model where each semester's cohort advances ongoing initiatives before passing their work to the next group. Students inherit research, data and insights from their predecessors, contribute their own analysis and recommendations, and prepare materials for future teams. This structure mirrors professional project lifecycles while providing NEPDA with continuous, fresh perspectives on complex challenges ranging from Market Street business district revitalization to strategic planning and targeted demographic outreach.
Recent 51³Ô¹Ï contributions include comprehensive market research, development of AI-assisted knowledge management systems, multi-year business survey frameworks, and college 51³Ô¹Ï engagement strategies. The partnership serves dual purposes: preparing 51³Ô¹Ïs for collaborative, iterative work environments while delivering actionable insights that inform NEPDA's strategic investments in one of Spokane's most historically significant – and economically challenged – communities.
Through this relationship, 51³Ô¹Ïs gain exposure to the intersection of economics, policy, marketing, community development and urban planning, while NEPDA leverages academic rigor and 51³Ô¹Ï creativity to advance its mission of catalyzing sustainable economic growth in Northeast Spokane.