Where is the opportunity in opportunity zones?
October 28, 2025
An Early Assessment of Opportunity Zones for Equitable Development Projects
October 28, 2025
Research Article

Learning from Opportunity Zones: How to improve place-based policies

By Gelfond, H., & Looney, A.

Full Citation

Gelfond, H., & Looney, A. (2018). Learning from opportunity zones: How to improve place-based policies. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

Key Findings

This report assesses the economic literature, experience with previous place-based polices, and early evidence from Opportunity Zone selections, and on that basis, it recommends: 1) Target the right places and use better data to do it; 2) Use appropriate financing, monitor compliance, and mandate transparency; 3) Put strong guardrails on the use of federal subsidies; 4) Rigorously evaluate programs to see if they achieve their goals.

More Articles Like This