Vacant Land Keys to Success: Resident Engagement

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

Resident engagement is the number one, most widely endorsed practice contributing to organizational success in maintaining and greening vacant lots. Resident engagement can build a foundation of trusting relationships, increase community buy-in, support development of responsive programs, and help organizations accomplish more and sustain their work.

“Keys to Success: Resident Engagement,” 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.”