State of the Land Report: October 2024 Posted on October 22, 2024 by [email protected] State of the Land Report: October 2024The State of the Land Report is our monthly update where we will be educating and sharing out about everything you need to know about vacant land policy in the City of Pittsburgh!Checking in with the Pittsburgh Land BankThe success of the Pittsburgh Land Bank is key in addressing the vacant lot issue. A working land bank can remove barriers and facilitate land transfer to responsible and productive landowners. We caught up with Sally Stadelman,…Read More
State of the Land Report: August 2024 Posted on August 28, 2024 by [email protected] State of the Land Report: August 2024The State of the Land Report is our monthly update where we will be educating and sharing out about everything you need to know about vacant land policy in the City of Pittsburgh!How to Mitigate Heirs' Property and Tangled TitleAs Pittsburgh’s population has declined over the past 40 years, many homes have been abandoned, or their owners died without specifying who would take over the deed to the house. We call these properties dead-end properties. Often…Read More
State of the Land Report: April 2024 Posted on May 7, 2024 by [email protected] State of the Land Report: April 2024The State of the Land Report is our monthly update where we will be educating and sharing out about everything you need to know about vacant land policy in the City of Pittsburgh!State of the Land UpdatesProperty Tax Reassessment in Allegheny CountyIn our last issues, we learned that property taxes are calculated based on the assessed value of a property and that many of the properties in Allegheny County have not been assessed since 2012.…Read More
State of the Land Report: Quarter 4 Wrap-Up Posted on December 18, 2023 by [email protected] State of the Land Report: Quarter 4 Wrap-UpThe State of the Land Report is our monthly update where we will be educating and sharing out about everything you need to know about vacant land policy in the City of Pittsburgh!State of the Land UpdatesProperty Tax Inequity in Allegheny CountyHomeowners are responsible for paying taxes on their property. These revenues fund many of the local government’s activities. Concerningly, in Allegheny County, low-income homeowners in distressed communities end up footing a disproportionate amount…Read More
State of the Land Report: October2022 Posted on November 3, 2022 by [email protected] Welcome to the State of the Land Report! October 2022 A Year in Review: This marks 1 year of State of the Land Reports and 1 year of our network being better informed! For the full review of reports go here to look back. We also want to give special recognition to our amazing team of Interns and Fellows who have played an integral role in keeping the State of Land Report running smoothly: Thank you Isaac Williams, Gracie Brickner, Matt Nealon, and Maya McCray!…Read More
State of the Land Report: September 2022 Posted on September 27, 2022 by [email protected] Welcome to the State of the Land Report! September 2022 The State of the Land Report is our monthly update where we will be educating and sharing out about everything you need to know about vacant land policy in the City of Pittsburgh! The Nook at Oasis Farm and Fishery. See Grounded Spotlight for more information! Advocacy Network Thank you for subscribing to our advocacy network, if you have not already done so please subscribe here. Grounded is working to improve…Read More
State of the Land Report: May 2022 Posted on June 13, 2022 by [email protected] Welcome to the State of the Land Report! May 2022 The State of the Land Report is our monthly update where we will be educating and sharing out about everything you need to know about vacant land policy in the City of Pittsburgh! Cats Corner in the the Hill District, by CommunityCare Hill District Advocacy Network Thank you for subscribing to our advocacy network, if you have not already done so please subscribe here. Grounded is working to improve the condition of vacant…Read More
State of the Land Report: October Posted on October 22, 2021 by [email protected] Welcome to the October State of the Land Report! The State of the Land Report is our new monthly update where we will be educating and sharing out about everything you need to know about vacant land policy in the City of Pittsburgh! In this report we will share with you everything you need to know about policy updates, new legislation in the works, land access strategies, facts about vacant land, need to knows about maintenance of City-owned vacant lots…Read More
Garden Lead Safe in 2021 Posted on February 8, 2021 by [email protected] While we're currently at the tail-end of winter, many folks I know are eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring. Perhaps none more-so than gardeners. These faithful Earth-tenders gain motivation from various places, but the majority of folks engaging in this 'hobby' (or way of life if you prefer) do so for the satisfaction of literally being able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. However, as with most things, context is critical. Our soils bear the burden of historically high…Read More
Reducing Toxics in the Home Environment: Lead Posted on October 27, 2020 by [email protected] The last week in October (25th-31st, 2020) is National Lead Poisoning Prevention week! During this time, there's a great deal of focus on reducing the threat of lead hazards in our environment. As you may know, lead is a naturally occurring chemical element that exists at low levels in a variety of earth materials. It is also a potent neurotoxin with negative impacts on a variety of systems within the body: in fact, there is no level of lead that…Read More
Grounded Statement on Racial Violence Posted on June 1, 2020 by [email protected] Grounded works to promote equitable access to quality greenspace within marginalized communities. We acknowledge that our work is not separate from the larger concerns of racial violence, stigmatization, and oppression. The context for our work, and the communities we work alongside, emerges from a long history of racial segregation, targeted divestment, redlining, and disenfranchisement of land from Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. We envision a region of thriving communities working together to sustain equitable change. The baseline for…Read More
Bill 299_Press Release Posted on April 29, 2020 by [email protected] Pittsburgh City Council CityFarms Project Resolution 2020-0299 Recommitted by City Council Pittsburgh, PA: April 28, 2020, Pittsburgh City Council recommitted Resolution 2020-0299. This bill would have authorized the Mayor and the Director of the Department of Public Works to enter into a Project Cooperation Agreement or Professional Services Agreements with Grounded Strategies for the purposes of implementing a CityFarms pilot project on city-owned vacant land. The resolution is expected to be updated to include an RFP process. Grounded Strategies,…Read More