In Cleveland, Ohio, the challenges of vacant land redevelopment are becoming increasingly urgent, with numerous barriers hindering the process. In response, a GIS-based methodology was developed to prioritize vacant land uses, integrating data-driven analysis with ground-truthing to achieve consensus on optimal land utilization. This model enhances land use efficiency by prioritizing city initiatives, promoting more compact and mixed land uses, and incorporating insights from both experts and residents. This paper provides a detailed overview of the model’s background and implementation process, while also discussing key barriers to its effective application and promotion. One of the key takeaways was the need for a comprehensive and equitable approach to revitalizing underutilized vacant parcels—one that integrates GIS-based suitability analysis with ground-truthing. In this research paper, I outline an integrated methodology combining data-driven GIS analysis and ground-truthing that can prioritize land use recommendations in underutilized areas. Ground-truthing serves as a critical layer of information to inform GIS-based mapping approach to give a much finer grained level of detail in terms of vacant land’s potentials and constraints. This land use repurposing model fosters optimized, iterative land use proposals, ensuring that recommendations are both technically feasible and aligned with community needs and aspirations (Cleveland Planning Commission, 2024). While it is not a perfect solution, it provides a bridge between longstanding policy and data driven efforts at vacant land reuse to potentially valuable pathway for refining vacant land redevelopment strategies and enhancing revitalization efforts in the future.