Land Banking 101: A Powerful Tool for Community Ownership

Join Community Spaces Network and Brian Larkin, Director of the National Land Bank Network at the Center for Community Progress, for a timely conversation on how land banks can play a role in advancing equitable community development and ownership.

In the last 15 years, the number of land banks in the United States has increased to more than 350 across nineteen states. Land banks are governmental entities, typically authorized pursuant to state law, that acquire, hold, and steward vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties to support equitable community development outcomes. While land banks are not a silver bullet for vacant properties, they can be a powerful tool to support non-profit real estate projects.

This session will cover the history and unique functions of land banks and evaluate when and if a land bank is a right fit for a community. Participants will also hear about land banks of various sizes that have built partnerships to support affordable housing, lift up racial equity, and address other local priorities.

Who might benefit from this webinar: SPRE partners, centers in development, planning and development professionals, community and government leaders

Webinar Fee: CSN Members: Free | Non-Members: $40

Speakers

Brian Larkin

Director of the National Land Bank Network, Center for Community Progress

Brian Larkin is the Director of the National Land Bank Network (NLBN) at the Center for Community Progress, the first membership-based community of practice for the land banking field that connects land bank leaders to the tools, networks, and resources they need to return vacant properties to productive use.

Larkin began his career as a neighborhood planner, which fostered his enduring commitment to equitable revitalization. A sought-after trainer and public speaker, Larkin connects with dozens of land banks across the country each year and leads multiple online and in-person educational sessions for Community Progress. He is passionate about getting land bank leaders excited about their potential to spark meaningful change.

Over the last two decades, he has served as a local government administrator and a program officer helping to build national community development strategies. That work has included managing philanthropic efforts, programs, and partnerships for the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Michigan governor, local leaders, and midwestern land banks. His local government experience includes serving as chief of staff, director of planning and development, and director for local chambers of commerce in Genesee County and his hometown of Flint, Michigan. Larkin serves on various boards including the City of Flint Charter Review Commission and the Flint Public Library Board of Trustees.

Larkin holds a Master of Science in Planning from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Morehouse College. He is based out of Flint, Michigan.