Community Progress Blog

To our Community Progress Partners and Supporters,  As we all face the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we know you are playing vital roles in your communities, engaging in crucial tasks aimed at protecting public health and safety.   To show our support, we have made the decision to postpone our upcoming Cornerstone webinar, Strategic Code Enforcement: Building a “3-E” Ordinance Program – Equity, Efficiency, and Effectiveness; originally…

The Center for Community Progress is proud to join more than 200 fellow nonprofits including Smart Growth America,   Habitat for Humanity, United Way Worldwide, Meals on Wheels America, and Girl Scouts of the USA  in requesting support for a $60 billion infusion of support to nonprofits to enable them to help the most vulnerable…

Tired-A-Lot Transforms Vacant Properties While Creating Youth Volunteerism Teaching teens to give back can yield more than positive values and great character; it can help change a neighborhood. Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and Northeastern University show there are positive connections between youth volunteerism, health, and academics. One hybrid group of local officials from the Zoning Land Use…

A Camera and $500 Turn into a Deteriorated Property Solution “Eventually the youth started asking, ‘Why can’t we just make the changes?’” explained Mia Ramirez of The Colorado Trust. That one powerful question spurred a student group from the Leaders Engaged and Amazingly Determined (LEAD) in Colorado Springs, Colorado to improve a deteriorated property in…

#ValentinesDay six years ago was just the start. For six years, you’ve shared #LoveThatLot stories of your revitalization wins that have turned vacant lots and homes into beautiful additions to your community. We can’t say thank you enough and how excited we are about your work… so excited that one day or month wasn’t enough.…

Massachusetts Placemaking Lighting Display’s Downtown Impact The eerie feeling of a dark alley and dim-lit underpass isn’t just a feeling. A recent New York City study showed that increased lighting can reduce crime by as much as 39 percent. Also, when an area is seen as the “dark” side of town, that physical impression can impact neighborhood…

Pop-up Library, Traffic-Injury Prevention, and Problem Properties Conversion with Creative Placemaking There’s an old adage, “money’s the answer, now what’s the question.” Sixty-five percent of neighborhood changemakers not only agree, but say funding is the largest hurdle to leveraging Creative Placemaking to fight vacancy and community challenges in their neighborhood. Three artist-resident collaborations from Design…

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