an unexpected journey

This article explores the Anchorage Economic Development Corps bold vision for the city of Anchorage -- to make it the #1 place in America -- through a grassroots movement called Live.Work.Play. It encapsulates the rationale for such a vision that goes beyond the traditional economic development model, along with the journey of garnering support from the wider community, the lessons learned from this experiment, and the foreseen challenges that lie ahead in achieving the vision. The article dives into the history of the initiative's formation, the foundational leaders, the processes that worked and others that failed, and the key areas that this initiative focuses on. Also included are highlights of the twists and turns in this journey so far. The Live.Work.Play. Initiative is an experiment in aiding a city's economic development through supporting community redevelopment efforts. The key to ensuring that Anchorage achieves its goal by 2025, however, lies in overcoming the challenges ahead and continually seeking new opportunities to strengthen the initiative.