National Land Bank Network

» National Land Bank Network

The buzz about land banks is growing, and for good reason. More than 250 land banks have been launched across the United States to acquire, maintain, and transfer vacant and abandoned buildings and lots. These governmental entities have helped transform neighborhoods in places like Detroit, Michigan; Syracuse, New York; Dallas, Texas; and Macon, Georgia that face widespread vacancy stemming from economic changes, natural disasters, and other events.

As the foremost national resource for land banks, Community Progress is proud to lead the National Land Bank Network (NLBN), which unites land bank leaders to share knowledge, network, and leverage their strengths to better inform policy change, strengthen land banking as a tool, and build a national community of practice. The National Land Bank Network was launched in earnest in 2020, and continues to build out infrastructure, capacity, and resources to support individual land banks and the broader national field of practice.

Since 2010, land banking has served as a core focus area for Community Progress who has: provided direct assistance and leadership training to land banks around the country; championed statewide networks of land banks in multiple states; shaped and supported successful efforts to pass state enabling legislation and legislative reforms for land banking; and published industry-leading publications that have become widely used and referenced by practitioners, policymakers and community organizations who share an interest in land banks and land banking programs.

NLBN Summit

The National Land Bank Network (NLBN) Summit is the only national event dedicated to urban, suburban, and rural land banks. Since 2010, over 250 land banks and land banking initiatives have launched across the United States to support the growing inventories of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties. Today, the success of land banks of differing sizes and scale has created an important opportunity to build a national movement to steward land strategically and equitably for the public good.

The NLBN Summit will explore the latest strategies for land banks to address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties by providing space to showcase innovation and forums for nurturing new ideas. Through uniting leaders with common challenges, the NLBN Summit will equip every land bank with the tools to effect real, on-the-ground change.

The first in-person NLBN Summit will be held October 16–17, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel. This summit will bring land banks together to learn about timely and pertinent issues and new innovative strategies in the field. Registration information coming soon.  Learn more here »

Interested in the 2021 Inaugural NLBN Summit?

2023 Innovative Approach Award

NLBN is thrilled to announce our first ever Innovative Approach Award. This award is designed to provide financial support for land banks through grant awards of up to $25,000 per organization. These awards will help support innovative strategies and approaches to acquiring, stabilizing, and revitalizing problem properties. There will be an informational webinar on February 9, 2023 at 12 PM ET, and applications are due March 14, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET. Interested land banks can apply here.

 


For more information about land banks, check out our National Land Bank Map »