If you want to improve your local community, think like a developer.

Federal government programs spur billions of dollars of investment in real estate. For example, Opportunity Zones alone account for more than $14 billion per year in private investment driven by tax incentives.

But how do these programs work? What are we getting for all that spending? And how do the economic realities of building things in the US incentivize where money is and isn't placed? Brett Theodos can answer all of this. He's Director of the Center for Local Finance and Growth at the Urban Institute and a leading researcher in place-based development.

Whether you're a mission-driven investor, a for-profit real estate owner, or a neighborhood advocate, looking at community through the lens of capital, as Brett does in this conversation, is incredibly help ...