2020 Theses Master's

What is the range of impacts federally mandated special economic zones impose on the socioeconomic conditions of low-income New Yorkers?

Golvin, Jake Mayer

This thesis explores the overall impact of New York City’s Empowerment Zone initiative and concludes whether or not the policy promoted a significant rise in local employment. Moreover, it expands on data collected from the beginning of the program in 1993 to the present day alongside first-person interviews and obtains a conclusion which reflects on the planning implications set forth by the existing Federal Opportunity Zone program enacted under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. B​y reflecting on the history and motivations that served as a foundation for these programs existence, quantifying the complete extent at which it affected low-income residents of Central Harlem and the South Bronx, and placing its impact on contemporary policy, this thesis posits a balanced conclusion addressing the exact planning implications Special Economic Zones (SEZs) place on impoverished neighborhoods throughout New York City​.