ABSTRACT
The United States is experiencing a “back to the city movement” that is fueling redevelopment efforts in disadvantaged communities across the country (Janis, 2008). Because disadvantaged African American and other communities of color are likely to have large percentages of vacant land or land and buildings with low market value, these communities have become ripe with opportunities for land banking by developers, who seek to create new housing and retail spaces close to central business districts (Gibbons & Haas, 2002). These urban re-development efforts promise to revitalize
communities by reducing vacant housing, fostering new businesses and increasing the local tax base (Janis, 2008).
