Publications

Community Progress publishes reports, case studies, and toolkits to help communities across the country turn vacant spaces into vibrant places. Download hundreds of free resources today, and sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest publications directly in your inbox.

Property Tax System, State/National Analysis

What Does the Sale of Property Tax Debt Mean for West Virginia Communities?
A Report on Delinquent Property Tax Enforcement and Vacant Property for West Virginia Reformers

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority and its partners in West Virginia to build awareness around the urgency to solve VAD property issues in the state.

Land Banks, Local Analysis

Piloting New Partnership Opportunities Between a Land Bank and a Community Land Trust in Albany, New York
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with the Albany County Land Bank and Albany Community Land Trust to help these entities pilot a more effective, sustainable partnership.

Code Enforcement System, Land Banks, Property Tax System, State/National Analysis

Aligning the Tools: Addressing Vacant, Abandoned, and Deteriorated Properties in Tennessee
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with Memphis, Tennessee to coordinate three key legal tools to address vacancy and abandonment.

Creative Placemaking, Local Analysis

Bridging Policy and Placemaking to Activate Vacant Properties
Exploring Barriers and Potential in St. Paul

The report explores how placemaking has (or has not) been incorporated into St Paul city systems, the effectiveness of such programs, and how that integration of arts and culture into city systems has impacted , or could more effectively impact, placemaking projects on vacant land.

Land Banks, State/National Analysis

New York State Land Banks
A New National Standard

This report offers a history of the land bank movement in New York, including an assessment of the work completed to date, the factors key to success, and what to expect of this maturing movement in the years to come.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, Property Tax System

The Cost of Vacant and Blighted Properties in Pittsburgh
A Conservative Analysis of Service, Tax Delinquency, and Spillover Costs

In order to raise awareness of the true costs of vacant and distressed property in Pittsburgh, in 2016 the City of Pittsburgh retained the Center for Community Progress to perform a “cost of blight” study.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets

Tackling the Challenge of Blight in Baltimore
An Evaluation of Baltimore’s Vacants to Values Program

This report includes the results of our quantitative or statistical analysis of Baltimore’s Vacants to Value program interventions and their affects on neighborhoods.

Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, Vacant Land Stewardship

The Reimagining Cleveland Vacant Lot Greening Program
Evaluating Economic Development and Public Safety Outcomes

This research brief analyzes the economic impacts of different greening interventions in Cleveland, Ohio and suggests opportunities for more impactful greening of vacant land in the city.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, Property Tax System

Implementing a Coordinated Approach to Address the Systemic Causes of Vacancy and Abandonment in High Point, North Carolina
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

This report shares the findings from our technical assistance engagement with the City of High Point, North Carolina.

Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, Property Tax System

Assessment of Baltimore City’s Tax Sale System
Impacts on City Finances, Vacant Properties, and Vulnerable Owner Occupants

This report shares the findings from our technical assistance engagement with the City of Baltimore, Maryland.

Land Banks, Racial Equity

The Road Ahead for Land Banks
Opportunities for Growth and Greater Equity

There are over 300 land banks and land banking programs operating across the United States, and the field has come a long way since the first land banks formed in the early 1970s. For over 40 years, land banks have kept a sharp focus on removing harmful vacant, abandoned, and…

Land Banks, Racial Equity

How Land Banks Are Leading Racial Justice Efforts
Moving from Vision to Action for Equitable Development

It is not a coincidence that systemic vacancy—and its associated social, economic, and environmental harms—disproportionately affects Black and Brown neighborhoods. This is the result of decades of racist, inequitable policies and institutional disinvestment. Land banks are a powerful tool to break this cycle of vacancy, coordinate new investments in long-neglected…

Property Tax System

Policy Brief: Tyler v. Hennepin County in 2024
Updated Analysis and Policy Reform Options

On May 25, 2023, the US Supreme Court handed down its decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County, making a significant incursion into the state and local government practice of property tax foreclosure. In short, the Tyler decision posits that tax foreclosure is solely a debt collection tool and that local…

Land Banks, Local Analysis

Exploring the Utility and Value of Creating a Land Bank in Atlantic City
New Jersey Land Bank Launch Technical Assistance Scholarship

This memorandum summarizes key takeaways, observations, and recommendations for the U.S. HART CARES leadership team (US HART) and the City of Atlantic City (City) to consider as they explore implementation of a land bank to address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties in Atlantic City. Program Background Virtually all communities…

Land Banks, Local Analysis

Assessment of VAD Strategies and a Land Bank in Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey Land Bank Launch Technical Assistance Scholarship

This memorandum summarizes key takeaways, observations, and recommendations for the City of Salem (City) and its partner, the Cumberland County Improvement Authority (The Authority) to consider as they explore implementation of a land bank to address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties in Salem City and the region. Program Background …

Creative Placemaking

How Local Governments Can Facilitate Creative Placemaking on Vacant Property
Recommendations for Policy and Practice

Creative placemaking is the practice of enhancing a neighborhood’s quality of life through arts, culture, and intentional community development to meet the vision of the people who live, work, and play there. This practice takes various forms, including but not limited to temporary visual art installations, performance events, and permanent…

Land Banks

Sample Land Bank Long-Term Housing Affordability Disposition Policy
A Resource for Land Banks and Their Community Land Trust Partners

A resource for land banks and their community land trust partners outlining a framework for disposition policies that incentivize long-term affordable housing.

Brownfields

Brownfield Remediation & Reuse
A Brief Primer

Brownfield properties, often referred to as “brownfields,” are properties where the presence or potential presence of a hazardous chemical or pollutant makes it challenging, risky, and costly to redevelop. While many people think of brownfields as large, abandoned factories or chemical processing plants, the true scope of brownfield properties is…

Land Banks

Land Banks in New Jersey
A Tool for Addressing Problem Properties to Serve Community Goals

Across the country, over 300 land banks are mitigating the harms of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties on neighbors and neighborhoods, and advancing equitable, inclusive, and resilient communities. Land banks have profound positive impact in the communities they serve including stabilizing neighborhoods and property values of neighboring homes, addressing…

Brownfields, Land Banks

How to Form a Land Bank
A 10-Step Guide

A ten-step guide to forming a land bank in your community.

Publications

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