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.
Topic
Geography
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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »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.
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »A 10-Step Guide
A ten-step guide to forming a land bank in your community.
Read More »A Brief Primer
Land banks are uniquely positioned to tackle contaminated and potentially contaminated vacant properties. Learn more.
Read More »How Tangled Title Can Lead to Property Vacancy, Abandonment, and Deterioration
This factsheet explains why it’s important to deal with heirs’ property in order to prevent future vacancy and abandonment.
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