As the city of Baltimore grapples with a declining population, it faces obstinate challenges in controlling the problems associated with vacant buildings, including the "vicious cycle" of vacancies causing more vacancies.
"Despite demolition crews working at an unprecedented pace in recent months to tear down Baltimore’s vacant houses, the number of abandoned buildings in the city has barely budged," reports Ian Duncan and Christine Zhang.
"Even as long rows of empty houses are being razed, other homes are going vacant much faster than officials had expected — for reasons they’re at a loss to explain."
In February, the city counted 16,724 vacant buildings in the city. Eight months later, the city counted 16,577. The city had hoped to bring that number below 15,000 by the beginning of 2020, but now it appears that goal is out of reach.
According to city data, the number of vacant buildings in neighborhoods targeted by the city demolition program has dropped, but increasing numbers of vacant buildings in other neighborhoods have kept the overall figures stagnant.
The article includes a description of the "vicious cycle" caused by vacant buildings begetting more vacant buildings, the negative effects of that cycle, and a more granular analysis of neighborhood-level demolitions and vacancies.
FULL STORY: Baltimore is furiously knocking down vacant houses — but barely keeps up as new ones go empty
Ohio to Demolish Thousands of Vacant Buildings
The state is funding a $150 million effort to raze blighted buildings to accelerate revitalization.
Op-Ed: Maryland Should Support Baltimore with Money, Not Bulldozers
A response to the conventional thinking about demolitions as the antidote to blighted, vacant properties and the negative effects that follow.
Baltimore Program Could Repurpose Thousands of Vacant Housing Units
The city and state are investing $3 billion in rescuing vacant residential properties to promote homeownership and reduce blight.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.
Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.
More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions