The Neighborhood Effects of a Place-Based Policy—Causal Evidence from Atlanta’s Economic Development Priority Areas

Place-based policies refer to government efforts enhance the economic performance of an area within its jurisdiction. Applying various difference in differences strategies, this study evaluates neighborhood effects a place-based policy—the Economic Development Priority Areas (EDPA) Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Since census block groups are locally defined and boundaries may change over time, we neighborhoods by creating set 0.25-mile- diameter circles evenly distributed across used created buffers as comparison unit. The empirical estimates showed that EDPA designation significantly reduced poverty rate increased housing price but had no beneficial on population size employment rate. heterogeneous analysis with respect different initial status relative larger significant effect low-income neighborhoods. increasing labor demand induced attracted more migrate put upward pressure prices. estimation results robust when replacing 0.25-mile-diameter circle 0.5-mile-diameter Although found some positive program it would be misguided assume similar occur other areas implementing policies.