Blog

Home » Blog

Our blog unpacks complex approaches to community revitalization so you feel ready to return vacant properties to productive use. Sign up for our newsletter to get solutions in your inbox.

Filter by Date

Topics

Problem to Purpose: From Gas Station to Food Station, Solving Insecurity through Creative Placemaking
February 18, 2020
Problem to Purpose: From Gas Station to Food Station, Solving Insecurity through Creative Placemaking

According to a 2017 study, a whopping 48 percent of Detroit households are “food insecure.” This means that nearly 30,000 Detroit residents experience hurdles when trying to access…

Read More »
#LoveThatLot – Help Tell America’s Big Revitalization Story, Score National Exposure
February 14, 2020
#LoveThatLot – Help Tell America’s Big Revitalization Story, Score National Exposure

#ValentinesDay six years ago was just the start. For six years, you’ve shared #LoveThatLot stories of your revitalization wins that have turned vacant lots and homes into…

Read More »
Problem to Purpose: A Closing Mill Leads Turns into and Art Opportunity
February 11, 2020
Problem to Purpose: A Closing Mill Leads Turns into and Art Opportunity

Dubbed the “Birthplace of Macon,” the once-bustling Mill Hill neighborhood took a hit when its mill closed in 2015. With the mill doors suddenly shuttering, Mill Hill’s…

Read More »
Problem to Purpose: 10-Week Safety Turnaround through Public Art
February 4, 2020
Problem to Purpose: 10-Week Safety Turnaround through Public Art

Massachusetts Placemaking Lighting Display’s Downtown Impact The eerie feeling of a dark alley and dim-lit underpass isn’t just a feeling. A recent New York City study showed that increased…

Read More »
New Online Webinars: Middle Neighborhoods with Alan Mallach, Land Banking, Code Enforcement and More
January 31, 2020
New Online Webinars: Middle Neighborhoods with Alan Mallach, Land Banking, Code Enforcement and More

          2020 Cornerstone Webinars Feature Updated Data and Trend Training from Community Progress This Spring, Community Progress will make staying up to date…

Read More »
Problem to Purpose: A Parking Lot Becomes a Beach?
January 21, 2020
Problem to Purpose: A Parking Lot Becomes a Beach?

More than 30 percent of parents travel with their kids to a beach for enjoyment, but what do you do when the sand’s out of reach? One…

Read More »
Problem to Purpose: Three Oakland Projects Fight Community Challenges through Art
January 15, 2020
Problem to Purpose: Three Oakland Projects Fight Community Challenges through Art

Pop-up Library, Traffic-Injury Prevention, and Problem Properties Conversion with Creative Placemaking There’s an old adage, “money’s the answer, now what’s the question.” Sixty-five percent of neighborhood changemakers…

Read More »
Top 5 Community Progress Resources of 2019
December 19, 2019
Top 5 Community Progress Resources of 2019

Five Game-Changing Community Development Resources to Help Drive Revitalization What’s working in Community Development? Sixty thousand readers, 1,400 conference attendees, and thousands more downloaders and training attendees…

Read More »
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – August 22, 2019
August 22, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – August 22, 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….

Read More »
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – August 3, 2019
August 3, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – August 3, 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….

Read More »
How Land Banks Can Address Brownfields: Case Studies

Land banks are well-positioned to engage in brownfield redevelopment. As public entities with unique powers to address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties, land banks can help communities return these properties to productive use in alignment with community goals. A growing number of communities across the country are seeing land banks…

Read More »
Why Home Repair Programs Are Essential for Preventing Property Vacancy and Abandonment

Home repair is a core strategy to stop properties from becoming vacant in the first place.

Read More »
How Better Data Helps Communities Address Vacancy

What data sources you should be looking at if you’re interested in understanding, tracking, and solving property vacancy in your community.

Read More »
Tips for a Successful Session Proposal for the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference

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

Read More »
How a New Jersey Land Bank is Converting Vacant Properties into Homes for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Holders

Learn how Newark, New Jersey is leveraging an underutilized HCV provision to make homeownership a reality for low-income residents.

Read More »
How Philanthropy Powers Land Bank Success 

Examples of how philanthropic partnerships have helped land banks launch new programs to revitalize communities.

Read More »
Five Creative Placemaking Projects Reimagining Live-Work Spaces

Examples of live-work unit projects that are transforming their neighborhoods through creative placemaking.

Read More »
How to Explain Vacant Property Work: A Plain Language Guide

Talking about community revitalization is hard. Here’s some ways to explain vacancy when people don’t understand your work.

Read More »
How Land Banks are Reusing Vacant Land to Build Climate Resilience

Examples of how land banks are transforming vacant land into climate resilience assets through flood mitigation, greening, and partnerships.

Read More »
Why You Should Attend the NLBN Summit—Even if You Don’t Work at a Land Bank

The NLBN Summit is your chance to better understand how land banks work and how they can support your goals around developing housing, reusing vacant land, and helping neighborhoods bounce back from economic decline.

Read More »