The Mayors’ Exchange on Unlocking Value in Vacancy: Full Video

Five mayors from cities across the country joined us at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference to share how their own communities are putting innovative programs into practice. Thanks to PhillyCAM, the full, one-of-a-kind session is now available online.

In “View From City Hall: The Mayors Exchange on Unlocking Value in Vacancy,” Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia — a city facing an inventory of over 40,000 vacant properties — is joined by Mayor Mark Mallory of Cincinnati, OH; Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson of Gary, IN; Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, IN; and Mayor Ed Pawlowski of Allentown, PA. The Urban Land institute’s Tom Murphy, a former mayor of Pittsburgh, moderated the panel.

The mayors cover a wide range of topics throughout the 90-minute conversation. Mayor Freeman-Wilson discusses her dollar home program, and Mayor Buttigieg describes the “1,000 properties in 1,000 days“ initiative. Mayor Nutter declares, to great applause, that “getting a land bank will be critical for a straight line to revitalization,” and Mayor Mallory implores that we “allow for the culture of community to be a part of the revitalization process.”

Mayor Pawlowski sums up the urgency of the challenge we face when he proclaims,that, “If your heart isn’t functioning, the body will die. The same goes for the heart of the city.” See below for a full recording of the plenary discussion.

Thank you again to PhillyCAM for filming the discussion.