Vacant Land Elements Examples

Home » VL Elements

Vacant land stewardship requires four fundamental elements: knowing your community’s context, having clear goals and plans, committing to collaboration, and enacting facilitative policies. These four elements will look different in every community, but they are all critical components of implementing successful vacant land stewardship. To learn more about these elements and discover some next steps for your community's learning journey, explore the element examples below.

Element Type

Organization

Policy
Adopt-A-Lot (Los Angeles)
Free Lots Angeles collective

Adopt-A-Lot is a pilot program that enables community groups in park-poor Los Angeles neighborhoods to adopt city-owned vacant lots and transform them into community-serving public spaces.

Read More »
Plans
City of Chester Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan
City of Chester

The City of Chester Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Plan provides a framework to manage stormwater with methods that contribute to safe, attractive, and more resilient neighborhoods and complements the City’s Climate Adaptation Plan.

Read More »
Policy
Mow-to-Own Program (Beatrice, NE)
City of Beatrice

The City of Beatrice, Nebraska runs a Mow-to-Own Program that allows adjacent homeowners, individuals, and developers to acquire city-owned vacant lots after proving they are capable, willing, and consistent with maintaining it.

Read More »
Policy
Toledo Grass Mowing Program
City of Toledo, Ohio

With the help of 52 community mowing partners, the City of Toledo, Ohio’s grass mowing program works each summer to keep parks, neighborhoods, and boulevards neat and tidy.

Read More »
Collaboration
Land + Water WORKS
Land + Water WORKS Coalition

The Land + Water WORKS Coalition is a collective of environmental stewards dedicated to a more equitable, more climate-resilient future for Detroit through research, education, outreach, technical assistance, installation, and advocacy.

Read More »
Policy
Adopt-A-Lot (Harrisburg, PA)
City of Harrisburg

The City of Harrisburg’s Adopt-A-Lot program allows people to “adopt” city-owned vacant lots for the purpose of maintaining and beautifying them.

Read More »
Policy
Love Your Block Mini-Grant Program
City of Buffalo

The Love Your Block Mini-Grant Program offers small grants to neighborhood-based organizations in our target areas for volunteer projects that address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.

Read More »
Context
Northside Vacant Lot Assessment
Grounded PGH (Formerly GTECH)

The Northside Vacant Lot Assessment collected information on the condition of vacant lots in Pittsburgh’s 19 Northside neighborhoods. The assessment was conducted by resident volunteers and community organizations.

Read More »
Policy
City of Philadelphia Policies for the Sale and Reuse of City Owned Property
City of Philadelphia

The City of Philadelphia provides a path to license, lease, and purchase land from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA), the Department of Public Property, and the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) and supports the use of vacant land for urban agriculture that improves the quality of life in the City.

Read More »
Policy
Tri-COG Side Lot Development Program
Tri-COG Land Bank

The Tri-COG Land Bank offers adjacent homeowners the opportunity to expand their yard through their Side Lot Development Program.

Read More »
Adopt-A-Lot (Los Angeles)

Adopt-A-Lot is a pilot program that enables community groups in park-poor Los Angeles neighborhoods to adopt city-owned vacant lots and transform them into community-serving public spaces.

Read More »
City of Chester Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan

The City of Chester Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Plan provides a framework to manage stormwater with methods that contribute to safe, attractive, and more resilient neighborhoods and complements the City’s Climate Adaptation Plan.

Read More »
Mow-to-Own Program (Beatrice, NE)

The City of Beatrice, Nebraska runs a Mow-to-Own Program that allows adjacent homeowners, individuals, and developers to acquire city-owned vacant lots after proving they are capable, willing, and consistent with maintaining it.

Read More »
Toledo Grass Mowing Program

With the help of 52 community mowing partners, the City of Toledo, Ohio’s grass mowing program works each summer to keep parks, neighborhoods, and boulevards neat and tidy.

Read More »
Land + Water WORKS

The Land + Water WORKS Coalition is a collective of environmental stewards dedicated to a more equitable, more climate-resilient future for Detroit through research, education, outreach, technical assistance, installation, and advocacy.

Read More »
Adopt-A-Lot (Harrisburg, PA)

The City of Harrisburg’s Adopt-A-Lot program allows people to “adopt” city-owned vacant lots for the purpose of maintaining and beautifying them.

Read More »
Love Your Block Mini-Grant Program

The Love Your Block Mini-Grant Program offers small grants to neighborhood-based organizations in our target areas for volunteer projects that address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.

Read More »
Northside Vacant Lot Assessment

The Northside Vacant Lot Assessment collected information on the condition of vacant lots in Pittsburgh’s 19 Northside neighborhoods. The assessment was conducted by resident volunteers and community organizations.

Read More »
City of Philadelphia Policies for the Sale and Reuse of City Owned Property

The City of Philadelphia provides a path to license, lease, and purchase land from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA), the Department of Public Property, and the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) and supports the use of vacant land for urban agriculture that improves the quality of life in the City.

Read More »
Tri-COG Side Lot Development Program

The Tri-COG Land Bank offers adjacent homeowners the opportunity to expand their yard through their Side Lot Development Program.

Read More »