Top 10 Things You Should Know about Place-Based Initiatives

By David J. Erickson

I recently joined Carol Naughton, President of Purpose Built Communities, on stage to discuss the latest thinking and research about how place-based initiatives can help achieve better outcomes. Here are the top 10 things you need to know:

  1. Your ZIP code is more important than genetic code for your health
  2. Your body is the sum record of your challenges and opportunities
  3. Opportunity is arrayed over space/neighborhoods
  4. We all win when we all win
  5. Five elements are essential to successful community-improving interventions
  6. Data is key part 1: It’s a dashboard to allow for better management of community interventions
  7. Data is key part 2: Better data helps us tell our story and monetize savings from ups interventions
  8. Plan for Success: Community improvements do not help everyone equally
  9. Community quarterbacks are social entrepreneurs

We left number one up to the audience to discuss, since discussion – and collaboration – is really the top thing you need to know. When more sectors share knowledge and work together to address place-based problems, our outcomes will carry greater impact.

Watch the full discussion on YouTube.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or of the Federal Reserve System.

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David Erickson

David J. Erickson

is the director of the Center for Community Development Investments at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. His areas of expertise include community development finance, affordable housing, economic development, and the connections between community development and health.