Limbo Lots (7-16-08)

Vacant lots can benefit the humans living around them, according to a recent report by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). CABE recommends “low-key” programs for vacant lots that “reduce negative and anti-social land uses.” Potential interventions include providing public access to these spaces (while minimizing vehicular access), planting easy to grow native plants in the spaces, and sponsoring temporary artworks in vacant lots. These vacant spaces can also be used for commercial purposes: “There is a long tradition of beekeepers producing some of their best honey from the flowers on the vacant urban land.”

Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. 2008. “Public Space Lessons: Lands in Limbo: Making the Best Use of Vacant Urban Spaces.” http://www.cabe.org.uk