Three dimensional gravity from ISO(2,1) coset models
  Starting from a WZWN action in the ISO(2,1) Poincare' group which describes a bosonized spinning string in 2+1 Minkowski space-time, we show that a sequence of non-trivial compactifications leads to the description of a spinless string which moves in a (linear dilaton) vacuum, AdS_3 or BTZ black hole background. Other solutions are also obtained and their T-duals analyzed. 
R. Casadio and B. Harms