Posts Tagged ‘Philadelphia’
Heirs’ Property, Part I: Preventing “tangled titles” and subsequent blight in Philadelphia
This is Part I of our series on heirs’ property. See Part II, “Providing legal aid in rural South Carolina to build family wealth and prevent vacancy” here. What happens to a property after its owner has passed on? In many cases, if the owner doesn’t leave a will, the answer may be unclear, leaving the…
Read MoreAt the heart of it all
We can point to the negative impact of vacant properties on health, crime, property values, and other areas. We can study vacancy numbers and property tax revenues, strained public budgets, and the impacts of demolition and preservation. But when we’re caught up in the day-to-day, it can be easy to lose sight of what’s at…
Read MoreSeason’s greetings from Community Progress
Season’s greetings from Community Progress! As 2013 comes to a close, we took some time to reflect on the last twelve months. It’s easy to declare, “It was such a busy year!” – when is it not a busy year? – but we’d like to say, sincerely: it was a remarkable year. Here are just…
Read MoreCommunity Progress’ Kim Graziani and PACDC’s Rick Sauer talk Philly Land Bank on WHYY
“Will Philadelphia create a land bank, and how would it be most effective and equitable?” This was the question of the hour as Kim Graziani, Vice President of Capacity Building at Community Progress, and Rick Sauer, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC) joined the Committee of Seventy’s Ellen Mattleman Kaplan…
Read MoreWhy skyscrapers get a break under Philly’s stormwater pricing
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! Many cities remain in denial about the high costs that low-density, impervious land uses like…
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 MoreThe Mayors’ Exchange on Unlocking Value in Vacancy: Full Video
Five mayors from cities across the country joined us at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference to share how their own communities are putting innovative programs into practice. Thanks to PhillyCAM, the full, one-of-a-kind session is now available online. In “View From City Hall: The Mayors Exchange on Unlocking Value in Vacancy,” Mayor Michael Nutter of…
Read MoreTop headlines from the 2013 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference last week in Philadelphia! Below, we’ve shared some of the most interesting headlines related to the conference — if you attended, you just might see coverage from sessions you participated in. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter as we continue to bring you…
Read MoreGroup hug: Institutions join together to revitalize west Philadelphia
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! It’s an unlikely beginning for a prominent investor in public space development, but Philadelphia’s University City…
Read MoreTax lien sales are no panacea for local governments
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! Philadelphia Councilmember Bill Green recently floated the idea of selling tax liens to private…
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