Posts by Community Progress
Time to #LoveThatLot — A Valentine’s Day campaign for revitalization projects!
Back again for the fourth year, it’s time to #LoveThatLot! ♥ In 2017, the #LoveThatLot campaign gained national momentum. You took to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your love for revitalized spaces. A number of you hosted in-person celebrations to recognize those creating positive change in your community. In Newburgh, New York, for example,…
Read More2017 Year in Review: You made change happen!
Thank you for all you did in 2017 to support communities experiencing property vacancy, abandonment, and deterioration. We reached 1,000s of people through our work, and are pleased to share highlights with you from the past year: Helping communities innovate This year, three communities were selected as TASP scholarship recipients for the first time: Albany,…
Read More‘Inside Out’ project shines light on Edison neighborhood and residents
Information provided by Kelly Clarke, Executive Director, Kalamazoo County Land Bank. The ‘Inside Out’ project (Credit: Kalamazoo County Land Bank) What is Inside Out, and how did it come to Kalamazoo? Inside Out is a global participatory art project organized by JR, a winner of the 2011 Ted Prize at the TED Conference in Long…
Read MoreFrom a Shipping Container to a Solar-Powered Greenhouse: Arts Meets Agriculture in Detroit
In Detroit, a recycled shipping container will soon become a community beacon for fresh food, job creation, and arts and culture. Part agricultural, part placemaking, the Liberty Harvest project officially launched in July 2017. It is an initiative spearheaded by Resurge Detroit, a nonprofit with a mission to “tackle blight in the city of Detroit…
Read MoreFrom Randyland to grand new plans: Albany and Flint residents learn from Pittsburgh successes
What can dinosaurs teach us about vacant land? Probably not very much. Dinosaurs are long extinct. Even plastic dino-toys – though ironic – have very little to offer us relative to vacancy or community health. I am surprised one would really even ponder this question. But do you know who can share some important insights…
Read MoreWestmoreland County’s redevelopment authority and land bank tackle affordability and accessibility
Westmoreland County, located southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has an active redevelopment authority and a land bank. It also has a large, and growing, aging population and a housing affordability problem. A new grant award will make it possible for the redevelopment authority and land bank to help with those challenges. The Redevelopment Authority of…
Read MoreBridging policy and placemaking to activate vacant properties in the Twin Cities
Placemaking–and creative placemaking–has received a lot of attention over the past few years in community development circles—but what is it? And how does it relate to vacant and abandoned spaces? The Project for Public Spaces defines placemaking in this way: “Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, Placemaking refers to a collaborative…
Read MoreFrom the Board Chair: Welcome to our new President and CEO
Dear Community Progress friends, It is with great pleasure that I share with you that Akilah Watkins-Butler will be joining the Center for Community Progress as its new President and CEO in early July 2017. Akilah comes to the organization with more than 20 years of experience working to develop successful and sustainable policies, practices,…
Read MoreYou really #LoveThatLot! Highlights from the 2017 campaign
Through this year’s #LoveThatLot campaign, hundreds of people held in-person celebrations and shared photos of revitalization projects across the country. You shared your love for vacant lots transformed into farms, gas stations transformed into buildings with small businesses, and demolition sites turned into children’s learning gardens. For example, the Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County “heart-bombed” several renovation projects that will…
Read More#LoveThatLot: Show your love for revitalization projects!
Update: Curious about the 2018 #LoveThatLot campaign? Learn how to get involved! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Why not celebrate it by sending Valentine love to your favorite revitalization projects and community champions? #LoveThatLot is back in its third annual campaign and we’re excited for you to share your love for revitalized spaces!…
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