Innovation Corridor Economic Development Strategy in Newton and Needham, MA

The Challenge

The N² District is an area of roughly 500 acres in Boston’s western suburbs of Newton and Needham, MA. It is home to many tech-sector businesses, including TripAdvisor, which built its new flagship headquarters there in 2015.

The N² District planning process was a collaboration between the Newton-Needham Chamber (now the Charles River Regional Chamber), its member businesses, and the cities of Newton and Needham. The group was interested in developing a strategy to position the corridor for innovation-driven economic development.

The Solution

The Newton-Needham Chamber hired Camoin Associates and its partner, Innovation PolicyWorks, to work with project stakeholders and develop a strategy. Together, the team worked with the project advisory group to understand the district’s competitive economic position and innovation drivers and identify the most strategic approach to enhancing the corridor’s role in the innovation economy.

The team developed data-driven strategies based on the corridor’s unique strengths and opportunities and produced marketing strategies to promote the corridor’s identity and competitive factors. We also determined the organizational structure to lead the implementation of the plan.

The Impact

Since completing the strategic plan, the N² District has worked diligently towards achieving their goals. A full-time program manager was hired, and they launched a fundraising campaign and met their financial goals. Several events and meetups have been hosted in the region for entrepreneurs. Additionally, they have been successful in attracting several new companies, including the headquarters of NBC Universal and SharkNinja.

Services Provided:

• Competitive economic position and innovation drivers assessment
• Strategic approach to enhancing N²’s role in the innovation economy
• Data-driven strategies
• Internal and external marketing strategies
• Organizational structure for leading implementation