The Center for Land Economics focuses on the overlooked role of land in our economy. Land values are created by communities through infrastructure, public investment, and shared prosperity, yet much of this value is privatized. This fuels inequality, speculation, and housing shortages. Our work centers land in economic policy and develops reforms to return its value to the community. Today, that means advancing property tax reforms that shift the burden off buildings and onto land, laying the foundation for more equitable and sustainable communities.

The seed for this idea was planted years ago while I was working with tenants in South Bend, Indiana and began questioning the underlying dynamics of land, housing stability, and generational inequality. Around that time, I came across Henry George’s Progress and Poverty, published in 1879 yet uncannily pertinent to the economic dynamics of today. George identifies land as a central driver of both economic activity and inequality, a perspective that deeply shaped my thinking

Our biggest challenge is translating technical research into political momentum. The economics are clear: taxing land instead of buildings makes communities stronger. But local governments need practical pathways that fit their legal and political context. Each state has unique rules, data gaps, and entrenched interests. Our work involves bridging rigorous modeling with the everyday realities of city councils, legislatures, and community advocates. That means not just proving the idea works, but helping others feel ownership of it so they can carry it forward.

I’ve drawn inspiration from national policy nonprofits that have emerged in recent decades, such as Grounded Solutions Network and YIMBY-oriented groups, which demonstrate how to scale local policy innovations into national movements. More directly, we have learned from Josh Vincent of the Center for the Study of Economics, who has spent decades advancing land value tax implementation in Pennsylvania cities.

Our immediate partners are local advocates and governments. That includes elected officials, community leaders, planners, and assessors who are trying to solve housing shortages, disinvestment, and unfair tax systems. We have published reports in Syracuse and Baltimore working with local governments and communities which have demonstrated the impact of better property tax regime that properly value land and have created legislative momentum. They are the ones who can turn stronger land policy into real legislative change, and we provide them with the tools and data to do so.

The ultimate beneficiaries are the communities they represent. A land value tax shift means renters face less pressure, neighborhoods see more affordable housing, and public revenue supports shared goods like schools and transit. For low-income families, this helps break cycles of generational inequality by ensuring that the rising value of land is returned to the community that creates it.