Community groups in Philadelphia are trying to remake blighted vacant properties into community gardens and neighborhood amenities.
The group is trying to get the city to allow vacant and abandoned land to be transferred to community members for reuse.
"'How are our children supposed to grow and become productive members of society?' asked resident Nashanta Robinson, 30, standing in a lot on the 2100 block of Leithgow Street, between two crumbling, deserted houses, 'if this is what they see growing up?'
Robinson, a mother of three, has lived for about two years in Fairhill, one of the neighborhoods east of Broad Street in the section that is struggling with blight. 'With the blight and the trash, it brings crime and just produces a negative aspect to the community which we don't want. We don't want that.'
According to the campaign's recent report, 'Put Abandoned Land in Our Hands,' 25 percent of the properties in the section, which runs from Girard to Lehigh Avenues and Front to 10th Streets, are vacant or blighted."
FULL STORY: Seeking answers on blight in one section of Phila.

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

‘Quality Work, Fast’: NC Gears up for Homebuilding After Helene, Trying to Avoid Past Pitfalls
The state will field bids to demolish, repair and rebuild homes in the mountains. After struggles in eastern NC, officials aim to chart a different course.

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions