A plan to care for vacant property in economically hard-hit Genesee County and how other communities across the state can implement similar approaches is the topic of a U-M report.
It details how county leaders can use sound environmental planning to make that section of the state a more attractive place to live and do business. The Genesee County Land Bank Authority (GCLBA) already owns nearly 4,000 vacant lots or unoccupied buildings in the City of Flint, the county seat. That number is expected to grow as more home foreclosures occur.
Dan Kildee, Genesee County treasurer and GCLBA chair, says he looks forward to testing the report’s alternative property maintenance strategies.
“As the owner of more than 4,000 tax-foreclosed properties, the Genesee County Land Bank plays an active role in improving neighborhoods by renovating, renting, developing, selling and encouraging community-based care, gardening and cleanup of abandoned properties,” Kildee says.
“The low-cost property maintenance strategies proposed in this report have the potential to further the reach of the Land Bank,” he says. “Properties that are sitting idle can be transformed into community assets that will improve the appearance of neighborhoods while increasing the economic and environmental value of the land over time.”
From their detailed academic study, a 26-page color booklet has just been produced: “Vacant Property Now and Tomorrow, Building Enduring Values with Natural Assets.” The booklet contains illustrations and real-life examples in Flint that offer creative ways of turning vacant property into sources of community pride while also minimizing maintenance costs. The booklet is free from the Michigan Sea Grant online bookstore.
The report, funded in part by the GCLBA, goes beyond ideas on how frequently to mow certain types of properties. Through a scientific analysis of current land uses and natural land characteristics, the study offers concrete steps that encourage long-term economic recovery, increase community stewardship and protect natural assets.
Using computerized maps of vacant county properties, the Landscape Ecology Perception and Design Laboratory headed by Nassauer analyzed vacancies in relationship to environmental flows through hydrologic systems, habitats and transportation, as well as sewer and water infrastructure. Then vacancies were analyzed to recognize community expectations for maintenance of different types of landscapes. This analysis identified where to use different property maintenance approaches to ensure that neighborhoods look well-kept while also protecting water resources and habitats.
The research and publication was supported by the Genesee County Land Bank Authority, the Genesee Institute, the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE), Michigan Sea Grant, The C.S. Mott Foundation, the Ruth Mott Foundation and Surdna Foundation.
The report is titled “Vacant Land as a Natural Asset.” The research behind it was headed by Joan Iverson Nassauer, a professor of landscape architecture at SNRE. Graduate students Rebekah VanWieren, Zhifang Wang and Danielle Kahn assisted Nassauer.
