This session, as a part of the two-part session proposal (along with “Green Infrastructure in Legacy Cities”), examines the potential of vacancy as opportunity for community development in legacy cities by exploring various case studies. Vacant or blighted properties in the city are often associated with various negative outcomes, including depressed property values, loss of the tax base, environmental hazards, public safety concerns, and overall decline of morale in the area. This problem is most acute in cities that have long suffered with the abundance of blighted properties, such as so-called “legacy cities” or “shrinking cities.” These cities grapple with the short- and long-term consequences of having thousands or tens of thousands of underutilized properties across cities experiencing little to no population growth. With the extensive amount of vacant land and little demand for formal redevelopment efforts, there has been excitement over the potential of converting blighted or vacant lots into green spaces, such as parks, community gardens, or urban farms, with anticipated positive outcomes of such conversion. The panel focuses on policy and activism regarding activating vacant lots in legacy cities, and where they have been successful or faced challenges.
The Metamorphic City: The Search for a Sustainability Assessment Method for Eco-Urbanism Strategies. Catalina Freixas, Washington University in St. Louis
Right to Blight: Framing Land Use and Vacancy in New Orleans Scarlett Andrews, Tulane University
‘Opportunity Lots’ for Urban Cultivation: Typologies of Blighted Properties for a Green Conversion Yuki Kato, Tulane University
Food in the City: A process to assess land suitable for urban agriculture Marie Macchiarolo, Graduate of the Conway School of Landscape Design