: : Land Access + Acquisition

Land Access & Acquisition 101

If you are interested in transforming a vacant lot into a public green space (or anything else for that matter), before you do anything else, you need to figure out who owns the lot and get a signed access agreement to use the lot, or gain ownership over the lot. Steps to follow for this initial phase are listed below.
*Items listed with an asterisk next to them are those Grounded Strategies can help with if the project is in a high vacancy neighborhood – 20% or more – and as organizational capacity allows. If you need support, reach out to Grounded at [email protected] or 412-361-2099.

1. Determine current site owner

Find out who owns a specific lot in Allegheny County using one of the below resources:

2. Consider your preferences for long term site maintenance and access/ownership*

  • A maintenance plan should ideally be in place before you transform a lot, including fundraising or financial allocations beyond the initial installation. This will make sure the lot won’t go back to an abandoned state. Is there a local community based organization, youth organization or neighbor of the site that already has the appropriate tools, skills and available time? Or does there need to be a plan in place to build these skills or fundraise to buy tools or pay people for their time? 
  • A local community based organization, land trust or the municipal government is often the best candidate for ownership of public green space. Note that if you take on site ownership, you also take on taxes, insurance, and ongoing care.

3. Reach out to the current owner to get a signed access agreement or ownership before doing any work.

Scan the agreement and save a digital copy in a safe space. Reach out to Grounded for a sample access agreement template if needed (coming soon to our website).

  • If the owner is an individual you have not yet tried to contact...
    • Send a snail mail message to the address listed for them in the county real estate portal, or go knock on their door if they live locally. Describe what you are trying to do and request a conversation. Include your snail mail address, email address and/or phone number for response.
    • If they don't respond, check the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal (see link above) "Tax Info" tab for that address to see if the property has been tax delinquent by 3 years or more.
  • If the property is outside the City of Pittsburgh but within Allegheny County...
    • And the owner is the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, reach out to [email protected], include the parcel number (found on the sites listed under step 1 when determining site owner) and mention that you are interested in leasing that site from the county
    • And the owner is the municipality, reach out to the borough manager for that municipality by looking up their contact information online
    • And the owner is an individual you can't reach with 3 years+ of unpaid taxes and someone involved is willing to own the site,
  • If the property is in the City of Pittsburgh...
    • And the owner is the City of Pittsburgh
      • If you want to transform a lot for a few years or permanently, reach out to the Forestry Division at [email protected] to see what opportunities they have. For a limited time, eligible neighborhoods could see some materials and/or technical assistance covered for site clearing, tree planting and other potential site improvements thanks to a grant to the Pittsburgh Canopy Alliance. Any vacant lots that are owned by the city or that are able to have ownership transferred to the city or a trusted community organization are eligible.
      • If you want to transform a lot for a few years, you can also apply for an Adopt-A-Lot lease, which is good for one year (can be renewed) and currently only supports flower, edible and rain gardens. No structures are allowed. Only temporary fencing or raised beds. Includes a Vacant Lot Toolkit
      • If you want to get single day access to clean up a lot, fill out the City of Pittsburgh Volunteer Clean-Up Application. This application allows you to mow, weed, remove invasive plants, and pick up litter. You can submit the same application multiple times for different individual days.
      • If you want the City to maintain a lot they own, call 311 and file a complaint about the lot. Tell all your friends and neighbors to do the same thing.
    • And the owner is the URA, check out the Available Properties website to learn more about opportunities including the Farm-A-Lot program or pathways to site ownership.
    • And the owner is an individual you can't reach with 3 years+ of unpaid taxes and someone involved is willing to own the site, contact the City Finance Office, Real Estate division about sending the property through the Treasurer Sale process.

4. Conduct a site audit and a community engagement process if the transformation you desire is more elaborate.* Always involve nearby residents early to ensure projects reflect community priorities. 

  • Plan and advertise a community meeting about the site. Involving a professional landscape architect or designer to turn your plan into a drawing can help you get site access in the future if the lot is publicly owned, can ensure you can get building permits (relevant if you are building a gazebo, stage or other structure) and can generally help make sure your project is designed to last.
  • Door knock or send mailers to residents, businesses and organizations around the project site to tell them what you are doing and get their feedback
  • If an extensive community engagement process has been conducted to build consensus, Allegheny Land Trust may be willing to consider adding the property into their portfolio after the installation work is completed.

5. Check safety and rules

  • Check what zoning will allow you to do on the site:
    • If outside of the City, look up your municipality’s zoning code online or call the municipal zoning officer or borough manager to request zoning information
    • If in the City, by visiting https://www.pittsburghpa.gov/Business-Development/Zoning 
      • Use the interactive zoning map to figure out zoning district and overlays
      • Then, look at the specifics of those districts/overlays in the zoning code
  • Request a free soil test from Allegheny County Conservation District if you are planning to grow any food or planning to install a play space of any sort on the site. Email Hayly at [email protected] to request the soil test.
  • Before beginning work, consider site safety, liability, and insurance coverage for volunteers and users.*
Disclaimer: Please note that this is a working document that may not reflect complete information about all available steps and pathways for vacant lot access and greening. Also, the contact information or website links are subject to change over time. Some of these partners or offices are making changes to their processes as you read this document. Last updated August 2025.

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