Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Urban vacant land typology: A tool for managing urban vacant land

Formally Refereed

Abstract

A typology of urban vacant land was developed, using Roanoke, Virginia, as the study area. A comprehensive literature review, field measurements and observations, including photographs, and quantitative based approach to assessing vacant land forest structure and values (i-Tree Eco sampling) were utilized, along with aerial photo interpretation, and ground-truthing methods, to identify and catalog vacant parcels of land.; The following types of urban vacant land were identified: post-industrial (3.34 km²), derelict (4.01 km²), unattended with vegetation (17.3 km²), natural (2.78 km²), and transportation-related (5.01 km²). Unattended with vegetation sites can be important resources that support urban ecosystem health; the most effective ecosystem benefits occur in natural sites based on their per-ha value. The redesign of post-industrial sites could build a city's image, while transportation-related sites can contribute a green infrastructure network of open spaces across a city. This typological study could have significant implications for policy development, and for planners and designers seeking to utilize urban vacant land to the best advantage.

Keywords

Typology, Field measurement and observations, i-Tree Eco sampling, Ground-truthing method, i-Tree Canopy, Ecosystem benefits

Citation

Kim, Gunwoo; Miller, Patrick A.; Nowak, David J. 2018. Urban vacant land typology: A tool for managing urban vacant land. Sustainable Cities and Society. 36: 144-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2017.09.014.
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/56350