ABSTRACT
The Genesee County Land Bank in Michigan has been widely heralded as an effective model for addressing widespread abandonment. Sunburnt Cities can learn from the Flint example and adopt land banking practices that quickly get tax delinquent properties that are blighting their neighborhoods into the hands of a centralized government agency with planning authority. While not always ideal, in a shrinking city a centralized agency can use strategic planning processes to consider the reuse of such land and buildings, improving the equilibrium of the housing market.
