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VLAS: Vacant Land Assessment System for Urban Renewal and Greenspace Planning in Legacy Cities

Author

Listed:
  • Pan Zhang

    (Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA)

  • Sohyun Park

    (Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA)

Abstract

Vacant land in shrinking cities has long been associated with high crime rates and economic decline. While some efforts have been made to repurpose vacant land for tax revenue generation and temporary environmental restoration, a comprehensive framework for city-scale assessment and reprogramming remains lacking. To address this gap, our study introduced the Vacant Land Assessment System (VLAS), a multi-scale spatial analysis and planning tool that assesses the distribution and characteristics of vacant lots using publicly available spatial data. Taking Hartford, Connecticut as a case study, we assessed and categorized the characteristics of vacant lots into four typologies: Row House, Street Corner, Commercial/Industrial, and Main Street. Responding reuse programs for those typologies were generated and one design example of vacant lot greening was also provided based on identified sustainable goals and techniques. The VLAS serves as an effective planning support tool, enabling efficient assessment, classification, and planning for urban vacancy management across city, district, neighborhood, and site scales. This multi-scale planning and design approach to repurpose vacant lots with diverse physical characteristics offers valuable insights for transforming vacant land in other shrinking legacy cities for sustainability and neighborhood revitalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Pan Zhang & Sohyun Park, 2023. "VLAS: Vacant Land Assessment System for Urban Renewal and Greenspace Planning in Legacy Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-23, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:12:p:9525-:d:1170508
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maria Spiliotopoulou & Mark Roseland, 2020. "Urban Sustainability: From Theory Influences to Practical Agendas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Dongwoo Lee & Kyushik Oh, 2019. "The Green Infrastructure Assessment System (GIAS) and Its Applications for Urban Development and Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-22, July.
    3. Sean Burkholder, 2012. "The New Ecology of Vacancy: Rethinking Land Use in Shrinking Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(6), pages 1-19, June.
    4. Keating, W. Dennis, 2010. "Redevelopment of vacant land in the blighted neighbourhoods of Cleveland, Ohio, resulting from the housing foreclosure crisis," Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal, Henry Stewart Publications, vol. 4(1), pages 39-52, September.
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