Eight cities selected for the 2014 Community Progress Leadership Institute

Following a competitive application process, we’re excited to introduce the eight cities selected to join the 2014 Community Progress Leadership Institute (CPLI)!

CPLI is our one-of-a-kind training program focused on equipping leaders with the skills they need to transform large inventories of blighted and vacant properties into community assets. (Curious? More info about CPLI.)

Delegations of up to seven people from each city will join us in Boston from March 18-21, 2014, on the campus of Harvard Law School, for an intensive mix of classroom learning and small group planning.

Our faculty will lead interactive sessions on how to prevent blight and vacancy and how to return vacant buildings and land to productive use. Some of the tools that will be explored are market analysis, reuse planning, delinquent tax enforcement reform, strategic code enforcement and land banking. In addition,Cambridge Leadership Associates will lead sessions on effective leadership.

Cities selected for the 2014 CPLI range in population from 50,000 to over half a million and have citywide vacancy rates of 10-29%. They also face high rates of foreclosure, tax delinquency and other property challenges. The cities were selected for CPLI because they demonstrate strong leadership and a commitment to developing new solutions for blight.

Please join us in congratulating the #CPLI Class of 2014!

Wilmington, Del.

Springfield, Mass.

Battle Creek, Mich.

Detroit, Mich.

Jackson, Miss.

Oklahoma City, Okla.

Huntington, W.Va.

Milwaukee, Wis.

We’re thrilled to bring these eight cities together for this unique opportunity to step away from the day-to-day and think strategically about new solutions. We look forward to sharing stories and updates via #CPLI — feel free to join the conversation.

A press release is available on our website.