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Community Progress regularly posts to this blog on a range of related topics to help communities across the country turn vacant spaces into vibrant places. Please check back regularly, and sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest news directly in your inbox.

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Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – February 7, 2019
February 7, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – February 7, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

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#LoveThatLot Turns 5: Let’s celebrate amazing revitalization efforts!
January 28, 2019
#LoveThatLot Turns 5: Let’s celebrate amazing revitalization efforts!

For four years, you’ve helped #LoveThatLot blossom into the Valentine’s Day celebration for your favorite revitalization projects and community champions: 2015 – In its inaugural year, people were…

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Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – January 25, 2019
January 25, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – January 25, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

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Building equitable communities: It takes systems reform, collaboration, and community wealth-building
August 7, 2018
Building equitable communities: It takes systems reform, collaboration, and community wealth-building

The day-to-day work of community revitalization is intense and consuming. For all the talk of “breaking down silos,” it is a challenge to carve out the time…

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A Green Culture Shift: Changing Perspectives on Open Space in Detroit
March 8, 2018
A Green Culture Shift: Changing Perspectives on Open Space in Detroit

Whether it’s the roughly 120,000 vacant lots like Detroit, or the roughly 14,000 vacant lots in the City of Baltimore, vacant lot statistics are enough to keep…

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Lots of love for #LoveThatLot! Highlights from the 2018 campaign
February 21, 2018
Lots of love for #LoveThatLot! Highlights from the 2018 campaign

What an amazing year for #LoveThatLot! From in-person celebrations in Albany, New York, Baltimore, Maryland, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the many Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts that filled…

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Time to #LoveThatLot — A Valentine’s Day campaign for revitalization projects!
January 25, 2018
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…

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2017 Year in Review: You made change happen!
December 15, 2017
2017 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…

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‘Inside Out’ project shines light on Edison neighborhood and residents
October 24, 2017
‘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…

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Kansas City neighborhoods get a boost from pro bono attorneys
September 25, 2017
Kansas City neighborhoods get a boost from pro bono attorneys

By: Peter Hoffman, Rebecca McQuillen, and Kayla Hogan   For thirty years, Legal Aid of Western Missouri’s Economic Development Unit has represented grassroots community groups in Kansas City,…

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Driving Change: A Mid-Year Reflection from Community Progress

A letter from our CEO & President about our work in the first six months of 2024.

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What is a Brownfield?

Brownfield properties, often referred to as “brownfields,” are properties where the presence or potential presence of hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant makes redevelopment challenging and costly.

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What is the Neighborhood Revitalization and Land Banking Act?

The bipartisan bill is an important step in giving rural, urban, and suburban communities the tools to address “blighted” properties. The key focus of the bill is providing support to land banks, a tool many communities are adopting to support economic and neighborhood revitalization.  

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The Problem with Calling Neighborhoods with Vacant Properties “Blighted” 

Blight is a shorthand term many people use to refer to properties they perceive as problematic in some way.

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How Vacant and Abandoned Buildings Affect the Community

Vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties—referred to by some as “blighted properties”—pose significant costs to public health, property values, local taxpayers, and more.

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What Can Neighbors Do about Vacant Buildings and Lots?

When neighbors come together, they can be a powerful voice for community revitalization.

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What is Code Enforcement?

Code enforcement from A to Z: when it works, when it doesn’t, and how local governments can make code enforcement systems more fair for all.

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What’s the Deal with Rural Land Banks? A Q&A with West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation Executive Director Taylor Bennett

Land banks can help rural communities deal with vacant, abandoned, and dilapidated properties.

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How to Prevent and Reduce Illegal Dumping

Cities spend millions each year cleaning up illegal dumping. What if they tried to make vacant lots less appealing to dumping in the first place?

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Tips for a Successful Session Proposal for the 2024 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference

How to write a session proposal for the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference that will get noticed.

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