Opportunity Zones: How Are They Working for Cities?

On June 10, 2020, the Initiative on Cities (IOC) hosted an online briefing to share new research and perspectives on how the federal Opportunity Zones policy is working for cities, including how it can be used as a tool for COVID-19 economic recovery. The webinar featured findings from the IOC’s national Menino Survey of Mayors about mayoral perspectives on Opportunity Zones along with a discussion with The Rockefeller Foundation, Citi Ventures, and the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) about on-the-ground observations, new data resources, and strategies for ensuring cities, investors, and developers can deliver on the policy’s goal to improve the lives of low-income Americans.

We were joined by:

• David Glick, Associate Professor of Political Science, Boston University
• Hasan Kazmi, Director & Head of Partnerships, Citi Ventures Studio
• Otis Rolley, Senior Vice President of U.S. Equity & Economic Opportunity, The Rockefeller Foundation
• Chris Slevin, Vice President, Economic Innovation Group

City Builder, a tool with Opportunity Zones data by Citi, can be viewed here. You can view the slides used in the presentation here.