A new report uses terms like epidemic and hyper-vacancy to drive home the point about the effects of vacancies on communities like Cleveland, Gary, Toledo, and Detroit.
Patrick Sisson shares insights into a new report from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy titled "The Empty House Next Door." The report examines "abandoned and unused properties [and] offers a deft accounting of the cost of these buildings on the surrounding areas."
"Compiled by urban scholar Alan Mallach, the report offers a sobering snapshot of just how widespread vacancy has become, especially in the aftermath of the Great Recession," writes Sisson.
Vacant properties aren’t new. According to Mallach, the roots of today’s problem lie in the Great Recession and subsequent foreclosure crisis, in which many homeowners, especially lower-income residents, lost their homes. Combined with the declining population in legacy cities, vacancies have skyrocketed.
The article includes a lot more detail on the research used to build the report's conclusions. Alan Mallach also authored a new book on related subjects, The Divided City, published this month by Island Press.
FULL STORY: The high cost of abandoned property, and how cities can push back
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Redevelopment Threatens Iconic, Affordable Chicago Homes
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City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
Jefferson Parish
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
City of Lakeway, Texas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
