Community Progress’ Kim Graziani and PACDC’s Rick Sauer talk Philly Land Bank on WHYY

Credit: Jen Leonard/Center for Community Progress

“Will Philadelphia create a land bank, and how would it be most effective and equitable?”

This was the question of the hour as Kim Graziani, Vice President of Capacity Building at Community Progress, and Rick Sauer, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC) joined the Committee of Seventy’s Ellen Mattleman Kaplan and WHYY host Marty Moss-Coane on her show, Radio Times.

During the show, Kim identified the four essential elements of land banking: Connecting land banking to tax delinquency, scaling to local land use goals, transparent policy decision making, and community engagement. Rick explained that the Philadelphia land bank will need to be highly flexible, reacting differently to different real estate markets. Both called for high levels of transparency to maintain public trust.

The  discussion came at a timely point in the land bank debate, as a Philadelphia City Council committee approved the land bank bill last week. There is still much work to be done before a Philly land lank becomes a reality, but local proponents are heartened by the forward momentum.

If you missed the show, and want to hear more about the Philadelphia land bank — and land banks in general — you can access a full recording of the show on the WHYY website.