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.

Creative Placemaking, State/National Analysis

Trends in Creative Placemaking on Problem Properties
2019 National Survey Findings

This report shares trends, case studies, and survey responses from people involved in creative placemaking and shares how they’re addressing problem properties to advance community revitalization.

Land Banks, Local Analysis

Strengthening the Houston Land Bank
New Legislative Authority to Support Expanded Neighborhood Priorities and Resiliency in Houston

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with the Houston Land Bank to support the development of legislation and policy tools that would allow the land bank to ore flexibly address the local needs for land, particularly post-Hurricane Harvey.

Land Banks, Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets

Land Banking in Albuquerque
Feasibility, Efficacy, and Relationship to Existing Tools for Vacant, Abandoned, and Substandard Properties

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2018 technical assistance engagement with Albuquerque, New Mexico to evaluate the feasibility of land banking as a tool to address vacant, abandoned, and substandard properties in Albuquerque.

Local Analysis, Vacant Land Stewardship

A Review of City Policies and Processes to Enable Five Land-Based Venture Types in Detroit
Report prepared for the City of Detroit's Planning and Development Department

This report shares the findings resulting from the City of Detroit’s Planning and Development Department’s engagement of Community Progress to examine existing local codes and ordinances and identify barriers that would prevent the creation or expansion of land-based ventures.

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

Preliminary Assessment of Vacancy and Abandonment Challenges in Ogdensburg, New York
Observations and Recommendations

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2018 technical assistance engagement with Ogdensburg, New York to support the development of a more effective, efficient, and equitable approach to problem properties.

Creative Placemaking, Local Analysis

Creative Placemaking on Vacant Properties
Lessons Learned from Four Cities

This report offers a definition of creative placemaking and describes how arts and culture can be used to revive vacant properties.

Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, State/National Analysis

The Empty House Next Door
Understanding and Reducing Vacancy and Hypervacancy in the United States

In this Lincoln Institute of Land Policy publication, renowned city planner and housing advocate Alan Mallach presents effective strategies for community leaders, local officials, and nonprofits contending with vacant properties in the United States.

Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets

Catalyzing Residential Property Repair and Rehabilitation in Flint, Michigan
A Community Progress Memo to the Flint Community Development Working Group

This 2018 memo outlines recommendations for Flint, MI leaders to develop a strategic approach to residential property rehab.

Land Banks

Houston Land Banks and Community Land Trusts
A Primer for the Houston Land Bank

As the City of Houston recovers from Hurricane Harvey, local leaders are considering how tools like land banks and community land trusts can work together to transform vacant and damaged properties into affordable housing opportunities for generations to come.

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

Neighborhood Stabilization in Waterbury, Connecticut
Recommendations to Build a More Proactive and Comprehensive Approach to Vacancy and Abandonment

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with Waterbury, Connecticut to assess existing systems, policies, and tools used to address vacant and abandoned properties.

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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