When Mandi Mitchell took over the seat as the head of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) in 2021, she knew she wanted Lafayette to think about community investment and entrepreneurship differently. She did not expect that belief would lead her community to be a national leader in supporting incremental developers and creating an ecosystem where community reinvestment thrives.
One might argue that hearing Monte Anderson speak at a conference in Pensacola, Florida, shortly into her tenure was luck. But if you know Mandi and you know Lafayette, you know that they were also prepared.
LEDA’s strategic plan envisioned a future where economic growth goes hand in hand with equitable opportunity and quality of life for all. In it lies a promise: to elevate North Lafayette (historically an area of disinvestment), not through sweeping, top-down transformation but through inclusive economic development, infrastructural investments, and community mentorship.
Neighborhood Evolution, a company that Monte co-founded with other incremental developers across the country, was a perfect match for Lafayette’s needs. Neighborhood Evolution is a training organization focused on empowering local communities to drive small-scale, incremental real estate and neighborhood revitalization. The group helps build “town-maker” ecosystems through two pathways. First, they convene residents, designers, planners, developers, and financiers. Second, they deliver a structured “12 Steps to Town Making” curriculum — covering topics like site selection, financing, pro-formas, construction, leasing, and property management — to connect community members and provide the knowledge and confidence needed to lead and sustain reinvestment in their own neighborhoods.
Lafayette’s approach stands apart from its peer communities in its belief that economic and community development is a team sport and that creating connections is a core responsibility of the community.
So, in North Lafayette, incremental housing becomes a symbol of connection among neighbors, across generations, and between Lafayette’s past and hopeful future. In that story, Lafayette is the hero, not because it constructs towering monuments but because it builds — and uplifts — one home at a time.
Learn how to empower and connect small-scale developers in your city. Read the new housing toolkit "Who Will Build the Housing-Ready City?" today.
