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.

Memo cover for west jackson property condition survey

Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets

West Jackson Property Condition and Resident Perception Survey Findings
Assessing the Cost of Vacant Properties

What we know about vacant properties in Mississippi’s West Jackson neighborhood.

Vacant Land Stewardship

Progress Points: Vacant Land Stewardship
A Brief Primer

Download a one-page explainer on what vacant land stewardship is, and why it’s important.

Report cover of the Chesapeake Land Bank Authority Strategic Plan

Land Banks, Local Analysis

Chesapeake Land Bank Authority Strategic Plan
Building on a Strong Foundation for the Next Stage of Growth

Community Progress worked with the Chesapeake Land Bank Authority to develop an ambitious strategic plan for the next five years.

Land Banks

2025 State of Land Banking Survey Snapshot
Key Takeaways

This one-pager of our 2025 State of Land Banking summarizes survey results.

Code Enforcement System, State & Local Analysis

Assessment of Code Enforcement Activities and Priorities to Consider in Jackson, Mississippi
Community Progress Code Enforcement TA Scholarship Memo

How the City of Jackson, Mississippi is using code enforcement strategies to address vacant and abandoned properties and revitalize neighborhoods.

Code Enforcement System

Code Enforcement Training Guide
A Strategic Curriculum for Local Practitioners Nationwide

A guide to training your code enforcement officers to help achieve your department’s ultimate goal: Compliance.

Code Enforcement System, Property Tax System

Louisville Metro Government Code Liens Analysis
Analysis and Recommendations

Analysis and strategy recommendations for using code lien foreclosure in service of neighborhood revitalization while minimizing unintended harm.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis

Code Compliance in Providence, Rhode Island
Recommendations to Promote Equitable Code Compliance for Substandard Rental Properties

Community Progress assessed Providence’s code enforcement approach for deteriorating, occupied rental properties and recommended improvements.

Cover page of the Cleveland Code Enforcement Training Guide

Code Enforcement System

Cleveland Code Enforcement Training Guide
A Strategic Curriculum for Local Practitioners

A curriculum for training code enforcement officers, focused on compliance without unintended harm.

cover image of recommendations to wayne county report

Land Banks, State & Local Analysis

Recommendations for the Wayne County Land Bank
Regarding Approach to Acquisition and Disposition of Nontraditional Properties

The memo outlines 12 recommendations for the WCLB to improve disposition of challenging properties, strengthen partnerships, and align operations with broader goals for housing, sustainability, and economic development.

Code Enforcement System, Land Banks, Local Analysis, Property Tax System

Enhancing Capacity to Repurpose New Jersey’s Vacant Properties
How to Advance Community Goals Through Land Banking and Other Tools

Strategies for acquiring and repurposing vacant properties in New Jersey.

Land Banks

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

A report on the current state of land banks and where land banks are going in the future.

Land Banks

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

Updated analysis for 2024 about the implications of Tyler v. Hennepin County on communities’ ability to tackle vacancy properties.

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 memo is a product of the New Jersey Land Bank Launch Initiative. 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,…

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 brief is a product of the New Jersey Land Bank Launch Initiative. 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,…

Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets

Exploring Open Data Portals and Data Consortia for VAD Property Interventions
A Memorandum for Dayton, Ohio

This memorandum explores the benefits of both data consortia and open data portals as tools for local governments to monitor, manage, and address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties. The purpose of this research is to help inform the City of Dayton and its partners as they embark on better…

State & Local Analysis

Legacy and Heirs’ Properties in Calhoun County, Michigan
A Memorandum for the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority

A memo for the Calhoun County Land Bank suggesting program and policy changes to support “legacy purchases” of heirs’ property.

Land Banks, Local Analysis

Land Banks in New Jersey 101
A Tool for Addressing Problem Properties to Serve Community Goals

This brief is a product of the New Jersey Land Bank Launch Initiative. 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…

Creative Placemaking

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

Policy and practice recommendations for local governments to facilitate, not stop, creative reactivations of vacant properties.

Publications

Topic

Geography