The New York Times recently reported on efforts underway in several major cities to demolish large tracts of vacant and abandoned structures in underpopulated neighborhoods. Detroit, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Buffalo are among the cities the article cites as embracing a “form of creative destruction” to “stimulate economic growth, reduce crime and blight, and increase environmental sustainability.”
In some cases, the cities are turning the vacant lots into community spaces and urban farms. Cleveland, for example, has more than 200 urban gardens (and one vineyard) spread throughout the city. Philadelphia has taken it a step further by allowing property owners to purchase city-owned vacant lots that are adjacent to their own lots for as little as $1.
