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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.

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#LoveThatLot: Public Displays of Affection for revitalization projects!
January 14, 2016
#LoveThatLot: Public Displays of Affection for revitalization projects!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. That means it’s time for Public Displays of Affection – for revitalized vacant lots and buildings, that is! We’re kicking off the second…

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Small scale, big results: Asset-based micro-planning in Youngstown, Ohio
December 17, 2015
Small scale, big results: Asset-based micro-planning in Youngstown, Ohio

What if the next big thing in blight elimination is to think small? Staff at the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) think that just might be the…

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Vacant industrial spaces are reborn to support a new age of small-scale manufacturing
December 17, 2015
Vacant industrial spaces are reborn to support a new age of small-scale manufacturing

There’s a myth surrounding post-industrial economies, Dan Kinkead, acting executive director of Detroit Future City, shares in conversation about the rebirth of small-scale manufacturing in his hometown…

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President’s Corner: Fresh approaches to the “preventive medicine” of vacant property revitalization
December 17, 2015
President’s Corner: Fresh approaches to the “preventive medicine” of vacant property revitalization

At Community Progress, we seek to help communities that are dealing with entrenched, often large-scale vacancy and abandonment in their neighborhoods. This is critically important, but it…

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Charting a new way forward through attorney-practitioner partnerships: Part II —Milwaukee
December 15, 2015
Charting a new way forward through attorney-practitioner partnerships: Part II —Milwaukee

This is the second in a two-part series exploring how strong working partnerships between practitioners and attorneys can give rise to innovation in the work to reclaim…

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Charting a new way forward through attorney-practitioner partnerships: Part I—Syracuse
December 15, 2015
Charting a new way forward through attorney-practitioner partnerships: Part I—Syracuse

This is the first in a two-part series exploring how strong working partnerships between practitioners and attorneys can give rise to innovation in the work to reclaim…

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#LotsofThanks: Recognizing revitalization champions
December 8, 2015
#LotsofThanks: Recognizing revitalization champions

All across the country, dedicated leaders are working day and night to combat vacancy and transform their communities. From the scrappy grassroots organizers to the forward-thinking public servants…

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Two new resources to inform short- and long-term vacant land reuse
November 23, 2015
Two new resources to inform short- and long-term vacant land reuse

When it comes to vacant land reuse, perhaps no other city in the nation faces as great of a challenge and as much of an opportunity as…

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#LotsofThanks: Recognizing revitalization champions!
November 17, 2015
#LotsofThanks: Recognizing revitalization champions!

Last February, we decided to run a Valentine’s Day campaign we called #LoveThatLot, asking you to use the hashtag to share photos of formerly vacant lots that…

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New research finds investment in neighborhood stabilization pays off—and more is needed
October 9, 2015
New research finds investment in neighborhood stabilization pays off—and more is needed

“House prices have sufficiently recovered and foreclosure activities have sufficiently abated.” That was the faulty argument made this past July to support a U.S. Senate proposal that…

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The Basics of Brownfield Redevelopment: Finding and Assessing Brownfields

Brownfield redevelopment reclaims the potential of underutilized properties, improves a neighborhood’s health and wellbeing, and can spark community revitalization.

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How Opportunity Zones 2.0 Can Leverage Existing Vacant Property Inventories

Ideas for Opportunity Zones 2.0 to leverage existing vacant properties in distressed communities, with land bank support.

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What is a Land Bank?

A land bank is a public entity with unique powers to put vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties back to productive use according to community goals.

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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 to Know About the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act in 2025

NHIA would create a new federal tax credit to support construction or rehabilitation of single-family homes in distressed communities.

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How to Buy Property From a Land Bank

Find a land bank near you and make sure you understand what makes them different from traditional real estate sellers.

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To Prevent Illegal Dumping, You Have to Know the Scale of the Problem

How to conduct a neighborhood survey to assess the scale of illegal dumping and prioritize city resources for cleanup and prevention.

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Five Innovative Approaches from Land Banks Across the Country

Five examples of creative approaches land banks have taken to addressing vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.

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Meet the 2024-25 Cohort of Community Revitalization Fellows

Grassroots community leaders from Lafayette, Memphis, and Rochester share their stories and motivations for community revitalization.

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Our Commitment to Code Enforcement: 2024 Recap

In 2024, Community Progress doubled down on its commitment to helping local governments use code enforcement to address VAD properties.

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