Innovative New Tools for Identifying and Building Communities of Opportunity: Lesson for Public Policy 

Thursday, October 23, 2014 
12:00-1:00pm 
UC Center Sacramento 
1130 K Street, Room LL3 
Sacramento, CA 95814 

Jonathan London 
Director of UC Davis Center for Regional Change 
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Ecology 

Chris Benner 
Faculty Director, CRC Regional Opportunity Index 
Professor, Department of Human Ecology/ Community and Regional Development 

Nancy Erbstein 
Faculty Director, CRC Putting Youth on the Map 
Assistant Research Professor, 
Department of Human Ecology/ Human Development 

Please see PDF below. 

Public policies intended to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged 
communities require the ability to identify their specific location and conditions. 
Two new data and mapping tools developed by the UC Davis Center for Regional 
Change, the Regional Opportunity Index and Putting Youth on the Map, offer 
policy makers, businesses, and community organizations this ability. 

The Regional Opportunity Index integrates data on economic, education, health, 
environment, housing, transportation, civic life and other factors to guide public 
and private investments to build thriving communities and regions. 
Putting Youth on the Map provides holistic place-based measures and is intended to 
help identify issues, mobilize action and hold decision-makers accountable for 
helping improve young people's opportunities and outcomes. 

This presentation will introduce these new tools and describe ways that leaders 
in public policy, planning, business, and advocacy sectors can use the tools to 
inform and inspire their work. 

For questions contact 
Shadia Powell at 
(916) 445-5100 or 
spowell@ucdavis.edu