Pittsburgh LandCare

LandCare engages small businesses and community organizations to maintain several hundred publicly owned vacant lots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2017, LandCare seeks to increase equity and opportunity in communities most affected by vacant lands. The program connects small community landscape contractors to public contract opportunities while providing technical assistance and support. Lots in the LandCare program are maintained on a monthly basis and progress can be tracked via a public map showing real-time maintenance records by the individual contractors. The public inventory of the URA was divided into smaller zones and contracts with preference given to minority, women, disadvantaged business enterprises and nonprofit contractors that are neighborhood based to increase transparency, build public trust, and provide more frequent and thorough maintenance of public vacant land.

This is a great program for cities interested in increasing opportunities for small and local business contractors while simultaneously addressing gaps in consistent vacant land maintenance to increase economic development with an equitable lens. This program also leverages technology, community engagement, and business/workforce development.