Return the value of land to the communities that create it.
We support communities across the country with original research, free open-source tools and hands-on help to put land at the center of economic policy.
Land is a big deal.
No one made it. All of us make it valuable.
Higher housing costs
The land under homes keeps getting pricier.
Longer commutes
Land near jobs sits empty, so homes go up far away.
Lost open space
Empty lots in town push building onto farms and forests.
Gains for a few
New transit and parks raise land values while owners keep the gain.
Different problems. One root.
Why landLatest research
All research →
Land Value Tax · July 2026
From the Ground Up: An Analysis of Land Value Tax in Cincinnati, Ohio
A parcel-level model of a revenue-neutral land value tax shift in Cincinnati, showing tax cuts for most homeowners and renters while raising the cost of holding land idle.
Land Value Tax · June 2026
Taxing Land, Not Homes: A Revenue-Neutral Path to Unlock Spokane's Underused Land
A revenue-neutral building-exemption model for Spokane that reduces taxes on most homes and small multifamily properties while raising holding costs on vacant and underused land.
Land Value Tax · June 2026
Land, the Wealth We Can Actually Tax
An original parcel-level estimate of California's $8.14 trillion land value, making the case that a fractional-percent land value tax would raise the same revenue as the proposed Billionaire Wealth Tax, without the capital flight.
Tools & data
Free and open source, for anyone to use.
Data
LVT Legislation Tracker
Where land value tax legislation is enacted, moving, or emerging — state by state.
Open-source tool
LVTShift
An open-source toolkit for modeling a revenue-neutral land value tax shift in any U.S. city, parcel by parcel.
Map
CivicMapper
Your city's land, in 3D: where land value concentrates, and how much sits idle under vacant lots and surface parking. 25 cities across 14 states.
Open-source tool
OpenAVMKit
A free, open-source mass appraisal toolkit for assessors, researchers and analysts: enrich data, run AVMs, and produce IAAO-style ratio studies.
Where land value tax is moving
- Enacted
- Kentucky, Virginia
- Active
- Maryland, District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Ohio, New Hampshire
- Emerging
- Michigan, Washington
Updated July 27, 2026
Latest writing
From Progress and Poverty, our blog on land, housing and political economy.
October 13, 2026
Is land supply fixed? Part 2: A parable of pencils and parcels
How do sales and holding taxes affect the amount of something offered for sale?
October 7, 2026
Is land supply fixed? Part 1: The Netherlands and land reclamation
Making new land, plus a parable of pencils and parcels.
September 29, 2026
Welcoming Jeff Fong
Center for Land Economics brings on a Head of Policy and Partnerships
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