Vacant Properties
Bringing Dead Space Back to Life in Brooklyn
Sarah Goodyear discovers a project to help Brooklynites reclaim land owned by the city, but long since abandoned, and building neighborhood bonds in the process.
On the Docket: Stabilizing Neighborhoods in Cleveland
Real estate speculators are being fined big bucks in Cleveland for letting properties sit vacant, but the jury's still out on whether this is the key to stabilizing neighborhoods.
$1 Homes to Urban Homesteaders in Buffalo
City of Buffalo program has inspired a small and growing movement of "homesteaders" who are buying City-owned houses for one dollar and rehabbing them.
Quantifying the Impact of Abandoned Properties in Philly
A new study suggests that Philadelphia's 40,000 vacant buildings reduce home values by as much as $8,000 and cost the city $20 million per year in maintenance.
How to Make Vacant Properties Disappear
Vacant properties are considered blight instead of potential, argues John Kromer of the Fels Institute. By acting strategically and thinking smaller, officials can revitalize their cities and attract new, more stable investment.
Fighting The Blight Of Vacant Retail
Time Magazine takes a look at the growing problem of vacant storefronts across the U.S., and what some intrepid souls are doing about it.
Habitat For Humanity Sees Gold In Vacant Housing
Used to pouring resources into building new homes, Habitat for Humanity sees opportunity in the vast number of vacancies caused by the mortgage crisis.
Fighting Blight With Art
Palm Springs officials are working to fill the windows of empty storefronts with art and movie posters in order to keep the streetscape feeling lively.
Dealing With Vacant Mansions in London
In a posh borough of London, empty homes are causing problems for officials, who are tasked with finding the owners of these vacant or abandoned mansions.
Cities Creating Land Banks to Deal with Vacant Properties
Abandoned and foreclosed properties are plaguing many cities. Now some are trying to turn the blight into prosperity by creating land banks to hold, remodel or demolish the properties -- and pull in some revenue while they're at it.
Brainstorm: Can Cities Shrink Gracefully? Should They? How?
As the recession digs in, cities across the country are left with large swaths of abandoned or vacant places. Can these cities shrink gracefully? Do they even need to? Vote on ideas submitted by the Planetizen community, or suggest your own.
Against the Bulldozer
Struggling cities are increasingly looking at the idea of bulldozing vacant properties and "shrinking". But two columnists argue it might not be such a good idea.
Whither Vacant Buildings?
Officials in Fort Worth, Texas, are searching for ways to deal with buildings left vacant by businesses struggling during the recession. Other cities and the state of Texas are also addressing the issue.
'Alarming' Increases In Shopping Center Vacancies
Empty retail space increased dramatically over the last six months, according to data compiled by commercial real estate brokers and investment advisors.
Who’s Watching the Beach?
It’s not just those buff lifeguards. Most coastal and Great Lakes states have a coastal zone management program. And not only are the coastal zone managers watching the beach, they are watching what’s being built in their communities. In fact, in recent interviews of coastal zone managers, 56 out of 58 said growth was the top pressure on coastal resources in their state.
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 Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
