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LEAP Innovation District
Lebanon, IN
A regenerative vision for the future of American industry.
Developed with MKSK and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the LEAP Innovation District reimagines industrial growth through ecological restoration, resilient infrastructure, and human-scaled community planning.
McLennan Design helped shape the district’s long-term vision through regenerative planning frameworks, land use strategy, development concepts, and systems-based design thinking—aligning economic growth with environmental performance, infrastructure resilience, and long-term community value.
Strategically positioned between Indianapolis and Purdue University, the district establishes a new model for next-generation industrial development in the American Midwest.
Infrastructure throughout the LEAP Innovation District is designed for performance and equity. With a focus on water stewardship, decarbonization, urban agriculture, and a 100% electric utility strategy, the plan positions Indiana as a leader in climate-conscious economic development. Greenways and multimodal corridors promote active transportation, while flexible zoning and mixed-use frameworks support innovation, workforce housing, and small business growth.
The LEAP Innovation District offers a new blueprint for industrial development—one where ecological health, economic vitality, and human well-being are designed into the DNA of the place. As a regenerative innovation district, it exemplifies how America’s next industrial era can rise not in opposition to the environment, but in deep partnership with it.
LEAP Innovation District
Master Planning, Land Use Planning, Development Framework, Design Guidelines, Sustainable Design, Visualization
Lebanon, IN
9,000 acres
2023
Loamy High Lime Till Plains—Level IV ecoregion 55b
New Community, Mega Site Industrial Planning, Urban Planning
Strategic master planning for next-generation industry and growth.
McLennan Design helped shape the vision, land use framework, and regenerative development strategy for Indiana’s LEAP Innovation District—aligning industrial growth, infrastructure, ecology, and long-term community value.
Planning Growth Through Ecology and Infrastructure
The LEAP Innovation District establishes a long-term framework for advanced manufacturing, mixed-use development, mobility, water systems, and ecological restoration—demonstrating how industrial growth and regional stewardship can reinforce one another.
Masterplan Components
RESIDENTIAL 21,800 UNITS
OFFICE (INCLUDES R&D) 6.5 MILLION GSF
RETAIL/FOOD & BEVERAGE 2.5 MILLION GSF
EDUCATION 1.9 MILLION GSF
PARKS & OPEN SPACE 150 ACRES
LEAP demonstrates how large-scale economic development can integrate ecological systems, resilient infrastructure, and long-term community value from the beginning.
Project Vision
A thoughtfully planned community built for future generations.
- A connected, well-planned place designed for long-term stability and growth
- A community built around safe, healthy, and complete neighborhoods
- A national model for responsible land and water stewardship
- A place where infrastructure, jobs, and daily life work together seamlessly
- A durable, future-ready community designed to support families, workers, and local economies
Connected Landscape System
A continuous network of trails connects neighborhoods, workplaces, and manufacturing along restored riparian corridors, rewilded meadows, and open fields—strengthening ecological systems, improving microclimate resilience, and transforming everyday movement into a connected landscape of nature, access, and beauty.
Strategic Planning, Sustainability Consulting & Design Leadership
McLennan Design served as a strategic design partner, providing sustainability consulting, planning framework development, and guiding principles that align long-term development, infrastructure, ecological performance, and investment priorities.
