Report Details Best Practices for Land Banks

A recent report collects data from the experience of cities using land banks as a method for addressing vacant and blighted properties.

1 minute read

November 19, 2014, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The Center for Community Progress released a report this week titled Take it to the Bank: How Land Banks Are Strengthening America’s Neighborhoods. According to the Community Progress blog, the report is "based on research of 67 land banks conducted from 2013 to 2014, finds that land banks’ ability to adapt to local conditions and needs is helping communities, large and small, address the negative impacts of problem properties."

"The report further finds that local factors, such as the scale of vacancy and abandonment, influence nearly all aspects of a land bank’s operations."

The report also includes close examination of seven land banks in four states—New York, Michigan, Georgia, and Ohio. The post also notes that of the 120 land banks currently operating in the United States, about half were created since 2008.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014 in Community Progress Blog

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive