Mayor's Office

Innovation District

Entrepreneurship, employment, entertainment and housing, all in one place. This is the vision for Riverside’s Innovation District.

What if you aren’t an entrepreneur, does this still matter to you?

Absolutely! An innovation district not only connects cutting edge businesses with infrastructure and close-at-hand resources, it builds off of the character of historic and culturally rich neighborhoods, connects blue-collar workers to high-paying jobs, and contributes to the growth of affordable, eco-friendly public transportation. Existing community members will benefit from the diversification of housing options in their area, and the aim is to maintain affordable housing while creating opportunity for all Riversiders to participate meaningfully in our economy.

Riverside is the #4 destination for minority entrepreneurs, and the #1 destination for millennials in the entire country. Riverside's Innovation District will leverage the power of our growing population by providing education and technical training that is needed to create a bubble of green and clean air technlogy jobs, anchored by the California Air Resources Board.

With four institutions of higher learning within city limits and several others nearby, Riverside is already preparing students for fulfilling jobs in the medical field, engineering, social justice and the arts. Our Innovation District will not only provide the types of jobs that we need to keep all of those graduates here, it will also provide training for and employment in quality technical careers that don't require a college degree.