The case for intentional investment in Los Angeles

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Los Angeles boasts an exceptional lifestyle of culture, opportunity and progressive politics. But how can the region do more to address its social and racial inequalities and address climate change?
If we use the SDGs to structure these investments, we believe a new Los Angeles will emerge: a sustainable, resilient, and prosperous Los Angeles for all Angelenos.

17 Asset Management (17AM) aims to facilitate sustainable development through stakeholder engagement, blended finance, and innovative fund design. Our research holistically explores the “old status quo” to discover solutions that enable a different future.

Sponsored by Envestnet, 17AM latest white paper, The Case for Intentional Investment in Los Angeles, provides a baseline for our research in LA and kicks off our LA Investment Initiative. In this preliminary report, we have explored LA's economic landscape through its Key Growth Drivers and Key Barriers to Growth, including social inequities and climate-related threats, and opportunities to align capital with the SDGs going forward.

Los Angeles is a diverse, progressive place with strong capital flows and nationally-leading industries. These advantages and benefits, however, are unequally distributed to its residents. Socioeconomic and racial inequities have been persistent throughout the city's history. Thus, there are significant opportunities for stakeholders to make an impact using intentional investments. In particular, our research supports the recommendation that LA should prioritize Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, 10: Reduced Inequality, and 11: Sustainable Cities.

This report provides a basis for deeper discussions on innovative financing, partnerships, and opportunities to mobilize capital toward LA's greatest challenges.

This year, 17AM seeks to connect with LA stakeholders to identify the most pervasive problems in the region and elucidate investment opportunities that would directly benefit the city. 17AM will engage community partners to understand their needs and then design capital structures that blend for-profit and not-for-profit capital to deliver financial and impact returns. Learn how you can get involved in our LA Investment Initiative by reaching out to: research@17assetmanagement.com