Land Banks and Land Banking, 2nd Edition

Author(s): Frank S. Alexander (Co-Founder and Senior Legal and Policy Advisor)

Land banks have existed in the U.S. for more than four decades, but as recently as 2010, they were still a relatively unexplored community development tool. That was the year the Center for Community Progress opened its doors with the purpose of advising communities on land banks and other critical tools to address vacancy, abandonment, and tax delinquency. At that time, a handful of states, most notably Michigan and Ohio, already had land bank enabling legislation on the books, and a small number of well-established land banks had emerged as examples from which to learn. A national community of practice related to land banking, however, had not yet formed, leaving many questions about best practices unanswered. This landscape began to change in the wake of the 2008 housing market collapse and subsequent foreclosure crisis, as an increasing number of community development practitioners around the country came to view land banks as a potential game changer in their efforts to combat problem properties.

In this context, Frank Alexander released the first edition of “Land Banks and Land Banking” in 2011. It was the most comprehensive publication on land banking developed to date, helped to usher in a new era of sophistication in land banking, and was unsurpassed as the authoritative resource on land banking, until now, with the 2015 publication of this second edition.

Land Banks and Land Banking, 2nd Ed., provides clear historic context about the development of land banking and elucidates its rapid evolution. Readers will also find an expanded trove of practical resources, including extensive guidance on creating and operating a land bank, template state enabling legislation, and sample administrative policies. It is an essential read for anyone interested in discerning whether a land bank is the right tool for their community, and the fundamentals of how land banks work.

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