Search Results
Briefing
Are Place-Based Policies a Boon for Everyone?
Despite the widespread implementation of locally targeted "place-based" interventions, their optimal design and effectiveness in addressing regional economic disparities remains open. Proponents argue that they can leverage powerful agglomeration economies and benefit underserved areas. Critics highlight potential pitfalls like inefficiency, gentrification and negative spillovers. Evaluating their effectiveness is challenging due to policy heterogeneity and data limitations, as existing evidence presents a mixed picture: Some programs seem to contribute to job creation and poverty reduction, ...
Discussion Paper
How the CHIPS and Science Act Will Target Economic Development in Distressed Labor Markets
As part of this past summer's CHIPS and Science Act, Congress not only funneled $50 billion of federal funding into U.S. semiconductor production, but also allocated $1 billion for a new place-based policy – the Recompete Pilot Program (RPP). The RPP, unrelated to semiconductor production, seeks to boost competitiveness and growth in several of the nation's persistently economically distressed areas. The program intends to target long-term comprehensive economic development and job creation in selected areas by supporting workforce development, business development, and infrastructure ...
Working Paper
The Labor Market Effects of Place-Based Policies: Evidence from England’s Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
Neighborhood renewal programs are a type of place-based policy that aim to revive underperforming localities. The literature on place-based policies has found mixed results regarding their effects on local labor market outcomes, but there are relatively few studies of policies that aim to improve local labor supply. In this paper, we examine the labor market effects of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, which targeted eighty-eight of the most deprived areas in England during the early 2000s as part of the Labour Government's National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. The fund disbursed almost ...