Community & Economic Development Projects

A Housing Strategy for Allentown’s Downtown Neighborhoods 
Plan for addressing blight, housing code violations, and negligent rental property management in residential communities adjacent to Allentown, PA’s, central business district through a more aggressive use of municipal powers, combined with better public agency collaboration and the promotion of housing preservation opportunities.

Philadelphia Residential Tax Abatements: Accomplishments & Impacts
Assessment of residential property tax abatements administered by the City of Philadelphia Board of Revision of Taxes (BRT) between 1997 and mid-2005.

Sheriff Sale
Researching the relationship between the City of Philadelphia’s mortgage and tax foreclosure system and the reclamation of vacant and abandoned properties in Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Vacancy Inventory & Reinvestment Strategies for Reading, PA
Analysis of vacant property in Reading and how best to organize available resources on this issue as an economic development priority for the city and its neighborhoods.

Vacant Property Policy & Practice: Baltimore and Philadelphia
Analysis of how the cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia are responding to the challenge of blight and vacant real estate.

Vacant Property Reclamation & Development in York, PA
Policy and program recommendations to address housing vacancy and abandonment in the city of York, PA.

West Philadelphia Initiatives: A Case Study in Urban Revitalization
A comprehensive assessment of Penn's urban revitalization efforts in West Philadelphia.