Vacant Land Keys to Success: Planning

Author(s): Center for Community Progress, Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center at the University of Michigan School of Public Health

Inclusive planning and establishing a reasonable project scope are among the top factors contributing to the success of efforts to green and revitalize vacant lots. Organizations need to work with communities to create a long-term vision for the maintenance and greening of sites, build on that work incrementally in sustainable ways, and create systems for ongoing vacant land stewardship. A long-term plan and vision builds collective buy-in, determines a project’s achievability, builds a foundation for success, and enables project longevity.

“Keys to Success: Planning,” is a component of our overall “Keys to Success: Lessons from the Field” guide to greening best practices as a method of reducing youth violence and injury. Keys to Success reports on findings from a six-year research project between the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center and the Center for Community Progress to identify the practices that help greening organizations (i.e. community organizations, nonprofits, land banks) meet the rising demand for vacant lot care across the country. This publication is a companion to the “America’s Vacant Lot Landscape: Insights from the National Survey on Greening.”