view of an abandoned building
Photo by Sami Aksu on Pexels.com

In Chicago, Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot has a strategy:

The Windy City, which has been trying to address its empty lot problem for nearly a decade, identified 4,000 spaces that are clean and ready for sale, said Maurice D. Cox, commissioner for the Department of Planning and Development. Turning lots into housing and community spaces like gardens, playgrounds and shopping centers is part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s strategy to boost investments in the city’s south and west sides.

Chicago Plans to Speed Up Vacant Lot Sales in Bid to Curb Crime

Not all of these sites require building houses. Rather, a mixture of recreation, residential and commercial uses will likely benefit many communities in the giant American city.

If only there was something to be learned from this for the Isle of Man…

City owned vacant lots in Chiccago

Michael Josem is a long-term consumer advocate, most prominently as a global leader in combating fraud in the online gambling industry. He was in part the inspiration for the 20th Century Fox Movie, Runner Runner, starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake.

Josem has over a decade of experience as a senior business leader working across various high-tech and online industries, and takes action to build a better community. His primary volunteer roles include service for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Graih, the homelessness charity.