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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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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….

August 3, 2019

Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – August 3, 2019

How Communities Can Partner with Land Banks to Address Housing Insecurity

Three case studies of land banks working with community partners to address housing insecurity.

Two Decades of Reclaiming Vacant Properties: A Conversation with Wells Fargo

We interview Sarah Bainton Kahn, Head of Housing Access and Affordability Philanthropy at Wells Fargo and Company, about what’s changed in community revitalization and what she hopes attendees take away from RVP 2026 in Pittsburgh.

Ira Goldstein on Lessons in Redevelopment Without Displacement from Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Neighborhood: An RVP Speaker Spotlight

We asked one of our speakers to preview his session at the 2026 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, and what you’ll learn by attending.

Jack BeVier on Rethinking Vacant Property Strategy in an Era of Private Reinvestment: An RVP Speaker Spotlight

We asked one of our speakers to preview his session at the 2026 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, and what you’ll learn by attending.

Aaron Sukenik and Cate Irvin on Sustaining Storefront Activation in Downtown Pittsburgh: An RVP Speaker Spotlight

We asked our speakers to preview their walking tour at the 2026 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, and what you’ll learn by attending.

Get Ready for the ROAD to Housing Act: Steps to Take Before Accessing New Housing Funds

What the ROAD to Housing Act contains relating to community revitalization and vacant property reuse.

What Pung v. Isabella Means for Communities Dealing with Vacant, Tax-Delinquent Property

What communities dealing with property vacancy, abandonment, and tax delinquency should expect following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Pung.

Proposed Housing Legislation in the 119th Congress: What Land Banks Need to Know

Guidance for land banks on emerging housing legislation moving through Congress.

How Vacant and Abandoned Buildings Affect Communities

Learn how vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties—referred to by some as “blighted properties”—pose significant costs to public health, property values, and local taxpayers.

How Land Banks and Under-Resourced Developers Can Collaborate to Build Affordable Housing

Ways that land banks and under-resourced developers can collaborate to build green, affordable infill housing.

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