Posts Tagged ‘Greening’
From Randyland to grand new plans: Albany and Flint residents learn from Pittsburgh successes
What can dinosaurs teach us about vacant land? Probably not very much. Dinosaurs are long extinct. Even plastic dino-toys – though ironic – have very little to offer us relative to vacancy or community health. I am surprised one would really even ponder this question. But do you know who can share some important insights…
Read MoreTwo 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 Detroit. Currently, Detroit has an inventory of more than 100,000 vacant parcels without buildings. In terms of land mass, that’s around 20 square miles of empty land, roughly…
Read MoreThree communities selected for the Technical Assistance Scholarship Program
Community Progress launched the competitive Technical Assistance Scholarship Program (TASP) in 2014, to help us find and support today’s pioneers in the work to reclaim and revitalize problem properties. TASP seeks out “changemakers” who are ready to effect positive change on the ground and shape the national field of practice. Today, we’re pleased to announce…
Read MoreHow Detroit Taught Itself to Demolish Vacant Houses Safely
Cross-posted from Next City, this article is one of a ten-part series inspired by the 2015 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference. “It kind of used to be like the Wild West a few years ago,” Regina Royan recalls, thinking back on how buildings were being demolished in Detroit prior to 2014. The old norms, she says, lacked oversight. “We realized…
Read MoreOn East Side of Detroit, managing vacant land takes collaboration
Cross-posted from Next City, this article is one of a ten-part series inspired by the 2015 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference. The verdure of spring is on full display in Detroit — but so, too, are the challenges of maintaining open land in a fiscally challenged city where over 30 percent of all parcels are vacant.…
Read MoreSpring cleaning: Vacant lot maintenance through community engagement in Flint
Spring is here at last, and for many Legacy City blight fighters, that means one thing – lot mowing and maintenance season. Maintenance, which includes mowing, waste removal, and other activities to keep lots clean and green, can be costly and time consuming. In order to make sure lots are kept up, some cities rely on strong…
Read MoreWhen trash bags and gardening tools can help fight crime
Cross-posted from Next City, this article is part of the 2013 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference liveblog series. Check out all the in-depth content — even if you weren’t able to join us in Philadelphia from September 9-11, 2013, you’ll feel like you did! With some 40,000 vacant lots, Philadelphia is no stranger to issues linked to urban land…
Read More