Management of Vacant Land in Small Communities after Floodplain Buyouts

Abstract

What happens to bought-out vacant lands after people move out? After major flood events in the United States, FEMA buys out people’s homes in the 100-year floodplain, and the property must be maintained as open space in perpetuity under the municipal government’s ownership. While municipalities have no specific obligations for bought-out vacant land management, FEMA encourages developing open space development to utilize this land for communal and ecological purposes. However, there are significant challenges for many municipalities around bought-out vacant land management, such as lack of resources, lack of community interest and motivation, and the checkerboard pattern of the land. How can municipalities overcome these barriers and develop context-specific land uses? Through a case study of Princeville, North Carolina, the study analyzes how small communities approach managing bought-out vacant land. First, the study explores the motivations for bought-out vacant land planning in Princeville after Hurricane Matthew. After that, the study investigates the processes through which Princeville forged partnerships and secured funding for projects and what land use planning principles and frameworks were developed. Lastly, resident perceptions and challenges were identified to inform future planning implications. The study found that land use planning for bought-out vacant land can be utilized to address community issues followed by disasters and buyouts, such as historic preservation, flood resilience, food access, and economic development. Municipalities can overcome the challenges in bought-out vacant lot repurposing such as lack of resources and checkerboard land patterns through partnerships, utilizing public land and acquiring additional land, and implementing land leasing and donating programs. The study indicates the need to integrate post-buyout land management as part of the buyout process for better outcomes. Increased federal and state support for post-buyout land management and the need for an integrated platform that manages buyout properties are potential implications.