Visuals
Carbondale from above
A place-based, five-year roadmap to reposition Carbondale as the vibrant regional center of Southern Illinois — built on its downtown, its anchor institutions (Southern Illinois University and the hospital), and a diversifying, tourism-driven economy.
BusinessFlare® delivered a post-pandemic Economic Development Strategic Plan for the City of Carbondale, developed in partnership with the State of Illinois through the RISE grants program. Grounded in site visits, business interviews, elected-official and city-staff engagement, and public workshops, the plan sets out five economic development goals and 22 supporting strategies with prioritized short- and long-term action items to guide the next five years.
The diagnosis reframes economic development away from transactional 'home-run' deal-chasing toward place-based development, where quality of life and quality of place are the core competitive assets. BusinessFlare anchored the plan in three fundamentals a city controls — aesthetics, engagement, and being open and welcoming — and used its P.I.E.C.E. stakeholder method (Preserve, Invest, Enhance, Capitalize, Expose) to surface the community's real priorities.
Carbondale already holds the assets to be the center of Southern Illinois's economy — an authentic downtown, two powerful anchor institutions in SIU and the hospital, a young and highly educated population, and a growing regional tourism draw. But its story is not being told to the right people, much of its workforce commutes in because the housing product they want does not exist, and downtown foot traffic has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The plan's central move is to convert these under-leveraged assets into a coordinated, place-based strategy.
Five economic development goals, each with concrete strategies and phased action items.
Broaden Carbondale's economic base by growing sectors such as tourism, music and creative industries, medical tourism, remote work, and aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul — while investing strategically in the places and talent pipelines that attract private capital.
Reposition Carbondale's image and reputation — improving safety perceptions, formalizing communication, and using storytelling to expose the city's authenticity, creativity, and welcoming vibrancy to residents, visitors, and investors.
Deepen collaboration between the City and its anchor institutions to address workforce housing, connect employees and students to local businesses, and build public-private partnerships that reinforce the downtown strategy.
Prioritize capital improvements that enhance the pedestrian experience, upgrade aesthetics, and modernize mobility — reinforcing downtown as the aesthetic heart and gathering place of the city.
Adopt the business-friendly policies, land strategy, and site-readiness tools needed to remove friction, redevelop gateway sites, and make it easier for businesses and developers to invest in Carbondale.