Ohio Land Exchange (OH/LEX) Workshop

Vacant lots, many contaminated, have become a community health issue for cities throughout Ohio.  More than 20 cities with populations over 20,000 have seen significant declines in population over the last 30 years, making them “shrinking” or “legacy” cities (Greater Ohio Policy Center, 2016).  In 2010, in response to this issue, the Ohio legislature made the formation of county land reutilization corporations (land banks) possible for 44 of Ohio’s most populous counties.  As of 2016, 40 of the 44 have formed land banks and are beginning to acquire, plan for and dispose of vacant lots. The Knowlton School has developed the Ohio Land Exchange (OH/LEX) program, a collaborative process designed to assist communities in engaging a broad range of stakeholders to plan and implement reuse strategies for vacant and abandoned land.  The process was developed over the past 2 years and has been successfully implemented as a pilot program in Lima, OH.   They have been awarded a Connect and Collaborate grant to extend the program to counties throughout Ohio by partnering Extension with local land banks. A one-day workshop is being held at the Knowlton School on May 25 to train Extension and Land Bank professionals about how to use the program. The workshop consists of 1) an overview, 2) simulation exercise, 3) environmental and regulatory process and 4) logistics and online tools. Complete information, including agenda, directions and registration link, can be found on the flier. To register for this free workshop, follow the link here or visit  http://cargocollective.com/LEX. For more information, contact: Tijs Van Maasakkers Assistant Professor Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture City and Regional Planning Section 614-292-0949 Vanmaasakkers.1@osu.edu Nancy Bowen-Ellzey Associate Professor OSU Extension Community Development 419-203-4148 bowen-ellzey.1@osu.edu