UT Dallas Receives IEDC Excellence in Economic Development Award

October 16, 2020

Washington, DC – The University of Texas at Dallas won a Bronze Rank for its UT Dallas Intellectual Transit-Oriented Transformational Incubator (DITTI [UT Dallas Intellectual Transit-Oriented Transformational Incubator] ), a project in the category of Innovation Programs and Initiatives of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC [International Economic Development Council] ). The honor was presented today at an awards ceremony during the IEDC Annual Conference.

IEDC [International Economic Development Council] ’s Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. 35 award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world, following a nomination process held earlier this year. IEDC received over 500 submissions from 4 countries.

Northside at UT Dallas

The University of Texas at Dallas’ Office of Facilities & Economic Development initiated an innovative approach to enhance the academic, economic and community-building aspects of the University through the creation of the UT Dallas Intellectual Transit-Oriented Transformational Incubator (DITTI [UT Dallas Intellectual Transit-Oriented Transformational Incubator] ).

DITTI [UT Dallas Intellectual Transit-Oriented Transformational Incubator] is comprised of three entities: UTDesign, a computer science and engineering capstone project lab space bringing hundreds of companies to campus; Northside, a mixed-use residential community located adjacent to the UT Dallas campus; and the future Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART [Dallas Area Rapid Transit] ) Silver Line regional light rail station adjacent to both facilities, which will connect UT Dallas to DFW International Airport in 2023. By instituting a public-private partnership (P3) between the City of Richardson, DART and private developers, UT Dallas was able to bring a number of new and established businesses to campus, strengthen the academic offerings available to students, create a “college town” setting, and improve transit opportunities for the UT Dallas community and the North Texas region, thereby developing a “Live, Learn, Connect” environment and intellectual village on campus.

“The winners of IEDC [International Economic Development Council] ’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the very best of economic development and exemplify the ingenuity, integrity, and leadership that our profession strives for each and every day”, said 2020 IEDC Board Chair and One Columbus CEO Kenny McDonald. “We’re honored to recognize the more than 100 communities whose marketing campaigns, projects and partnerships have measurably improved regional quality of life.”

About the International Economic Development Council

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC [International Economic Development Council] ) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities, by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban and local to international, IEDC’s members are engaged in the full range of economic development experience. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in a wide variety of settings including local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at iedconline.org.

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