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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

Land Banks
2025 State of Land Banking Survey Snapshot
Key Takeaways

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Cover page of the Rochester Land Bank Corporation Strategic Plan
Land Banks, Local Analysis
Rochester Land Bank Five-Year Strategic Plan
2026–2030

The Rochester Land Bank’s new strategic plan reimagines its role in revitalizing vacant properties, expanding homeownership, and strengthening neighborhoods.

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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.

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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.

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Land Banks
Detroit Land Bank Authority Strategic Plan
Next Five: 2025–2030 Strategic Plan

“Next Five” is a strategic plan for the Detroit Land Bank Authority for 2025-2030, developed by Community Progress in partnership with DLBA.

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Code Enforcement System, Land Banks
Recommendations for the Hopkinsville and Christian County Landbank Authority
Addressing Vacant and Abandoned Properties through Code Lien Foreclosure

Guidance for dealing with the community’s vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.

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Land Banks
Emergency Housing in Rural Upstate New York
How Land Banks May Help Address the Crisis

Ways that land banks in rural communities can use their powers to help address homelessness and emergency housing needs.

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Vacant Land Stewardship
Vacant Land Keys to Success: Dedicated Capacity
Insights from the National Survey on Greening

In this brief from Keys to Success, we dive into the capacity challenge facing organizations responsible for vacant land stewardship, and why a response equal to the scope of the problem is necessary.

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Vacant Land Stewardship
Vacant Land Keys to Success: Land Access and Acquisition
Insights from the National Survey on Greening

In this brief from Keys to Success, we explore how formal access and acquisition programs are critical for successful vacant land stewardship.

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Vacant Land Stewardship
Vacant Land Keys to Success: Planning
Insights from the National Survey on Greening

In this brief from Keys to Success, we tackle inclusive planning and project scope, and why a long-term vision for vacant lot maintenance and greening is a must for all organizations involved.

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Vacant Land Stewardship
Vacant Land Keys to Success: Sustainable Funding
Insights from the National Survey on Greening

In this brief from Keys to Success, we explain why sustainable funding is necessary to transform vacant lots into long-term assets for communities.

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Vacant Land Stewardship
Vacant Land Keys to Success: Partnerships
Insights from the National Survey on Greening

In this brief from Keys to Success, you’ll find an explainer on how successful strategic partnerships contribute to vacant land stewardship.

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Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, State & Local Analysis
Making the Comeback
Reversing the Downward Trajectory of African American Middle Neighborhoods in Legacy Cities 

Black urban middle neighborhoods are facing an existential crisis. This report shares key highlights from Alan Mallach’s research from predominately Black neighborhoods in six legacy cities and offers strategies for Black middle neighborhood revival.

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Vacant Land Stewardship
Vacant Land Keys to Success
Lessons from the Field on Vacant Lot Greening

Keys to Success: Lessons from the Field, reports on findings from a six-year research project exploring greening as a method to reduce youth violence and injury. It identifies practices that help greening organizations meet the rising demand for vacant lot care across the country.

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State & Local Analysis, Vacant Land Stewardship
America’s Vacant Lot Landscape
Insights from the National Survey on Greening

This report presents descriptive findings from the National Survey on Greening — conducted as part of a five-year research project between the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center and the Center for Community Progress — on the current capacity, practices, and trends these organizations are experiencing and what they still need to effectively manage their growing vacant lot inventories.

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Local Analysis
Forward Toledo
An Exploratory Assessment to Inform Future Comprehensive Planning

The Toledo Exploratory Assessment presents an objective and evidenced-based analysis of Toledo’s potential, providing residents, businesses and community stakeholders the tools to boldly and confidently chart a course forward.

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Code Enforcement System, State & Local Analysis
Revitalization in Michigan
A Guide to Transforming VAD Properties through Code Enforcement

Revitalization in Michigan: A Guide to Transforming VAD Properties through Code Enforcement breaks down leading code enforcement tools that help fight vacancy through traditional enforcement, proactive regulation, and additional strategies.

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