Saving Our Cities: Land Banking in Tennessee

Empty lots and abandoned buildings are far too common sights in cities across the country. They present one of the most difficult challenges to positive growth and development, yet in many cities, these properties remain year after year, their condition only worsening. The solution? Land banking. In this article, I explain the concept of land banking and how it can efficiently change the legal status of such properties and convert them into productive and useful pieces of land. I then analyze the land bank statutory scheme in Tennessee, discuss the current status of land banks in the state, and explore how Tennessee cities can use land banking to transform vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent, and foreclosed properties.