OLBA Conference Key Takeaways 

We were proud to have a strong presence at this year’s Ohio Land Bank Association (OLBA) Conference in Columbus, where members of The Port team attended sessions, shared insights, and connected with land bank professionals from across the state. As an active OLBA member, we’re always eager to learn, collaborate, and bring back fresh ideas to strengthen our work in Hamilton County. Senior Landbank Associate Luke Herrmann, Vice President of Development Liz Eddy, and Landbank Manager Amy Bancroft also had the opportunity to present, sharing their expertise and highlighting local successes. In this blog, we’re recapping key takeaways from our team’s time at the conference.

Affordability Doesn’t Have to Compromise Design

Columbus’s Franklinton neighborhood is showing how to fit big ideas into small footprints. Once a largely industrial corridor, Franklinton has transformed into a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood that takes full advantage of vertical housing strategies, an idea that could translate to Cincinnati’s hilly terrain.

What also stood out was their commitment to keeping new development affordable. Through long-term land leases and community land trusts, Franklinton has created a path to single-family homeownership without sacrificing long-term affordability. These tools allow residents to build equity while ensuring that housing prices remain stable in changing markets.

This visit gave us a real-world example of what it looks like to scale thoughtful, design-driven density without sacrificing affordability, which is something Hamilton County neighborhoods are ready for.

Deconstruction Over Demolition

Traditional demolition has long been the default, but what if it doesn't have to be? At this year’s conference, we learned more about a slower, more intentional process of dismantling structures to salvage materials and reduce landfill waste.

While the upfront labor cost can be higher, deconstruction opens the door to workforce opportunities, environmental benefits, and creative reuse. Combined with ideas from domicology: a discipline focused on the full lifecycle of buildings, it’s clear we should plan not just how we build, but how we will eventually take structures offline.

It’s an approach that prioritizes value recovery, sustainability, and long-term planning which are all things that could reshape how we approach redevelopment in Hamilton County.

Dumping Isn’t Just a Nuisance

Illegal dumping remains one of the most visible and frustrating challenges we face. We connected with peers from Columbus and other Ohio cities who are taking a proactive approach: behavioral change campaigns, accessible collection events, and community education efforts that go beyond cleanup.

This issue prompted Attorney General Dave Yost to launch the "Shine a Light on Dumpers" initiative in 2023 to support local communities in identifying and prosecuting offenders through training, resources, and public involvement.

Both “Shine a Light on Dumpers” and Cincinnati’s “Don’t Dump the Nati” initiatives aim to combat illegal dumping through public awareness, community involvement, and support for enforcement efforts to keep neighborhoods clean and safe.

It’s a reminder that dumping isn’t just about trash, it's also about access, awareness, and accountability. We’ve got a real opportunity to reframe the issue with smarter outreach and stronger partnerships.

Did you miss the Ohio Land Bank Association Conference in Columbus? Hopefully, we will see you next year in Toledo!