Overview

Potential insights and inexpensive tools for converting small, vacant lots to community green space.  Vacant lots, so often seen as neighborhood blight, have the potential to be a key element of community revitalization. Sandra Albro offers practical insights through her experience leading the five-year Vacant to Vibrant project, which piloted the creation of green infrastructure networks in Gary, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York. Vacant to Vibrant provides a point of comparison among the three cities as they adapt old systems to new, green technology. Albro offers insights from every step of the Vacant to Vibrant project, including planning, design, community engagement, implementation, and maintenance successes and challenges of creating a green infrastructure network from vacant lots in neighborhoods. Landscape architects and other professionals whose work involves urban greening will learn new approaches for creating infrastructure networks and facilitating more equitable access to green space.

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9781610919005

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Reviews

The citizens of Gary, IN owe a debt of gratitude to Sandra Albo and the Vacant to Vibrant project for helping solve the practical problem of stormwater runoff while helping our residents to reimagine their neighborhoods. This work will have a positive impact in our city for generations to come, and this book will make it possible in many other communities. --Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor of Gary, Indiana Sandra Albo's book provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to revitalize communities from the ground up, starting with the potential of vacant lots. By capturing details and lessons learned of how communities are rebuilding after decades of economic and environmental decline, this book addresses and translates complex problems, from water infrastructure to social justice, for anyone looking to replicate these successes. --Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director and Waterkeeper, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper This well-laid out, easy to read how-to guide is a valuable contribution to multiple literatures, on vacant lots, green infrastructure, community engagement, and even project management....worthy of attention and discussion as healthy urban livability becomes a more pressing need. --Journal of Urban Affairs Vacant to Vibrant is a timely contribution to addressing the challenges of repurposing vacant land. The low-cost strategies that also engage stakeholders in the design process offers replicable real-world examples that can have real impact. --Mark Lindquist, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Michigan Vacant to Vibrant provides a blueprint for adaptive reuse of vacant land that permeates many US cities. It provides a refreshing view of not jut successful projects, but also of the challenges faced in planning, building and maintaining formerly vacant land to support recreation, stormwater management, habitat, beauty and neighborhood identity. --Michelle Kondo, Scientist, Urban Forests, Human Health, and Environmental Quality, USDA Forest Service

This well-laid out, easy to read how-to guide is a valuable contribution to multiple literatures, on vacant lots, green infrastructure, community engagement, and even project management....worthy of attention and discussion as healthy urban livability becomes a more pressing need. --Journal of Urban Affairs Sandra Albo's book provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to revitalize communities from the ground up, starting with the potential of vacant lots. By capturing details and lessons learned of how communities are rebuilding after decades of economic and environmental decline, this book addresses and translates complex problems, from water infrastructure to social justice, for anyone looking to replicate these successes. --Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director and Waterkeeper, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper The citizens of Gary, IN owe a debt of gratitude to Sandra Albo and the Vacant to Vibrant project for helping solve the practical problem of stormwater runoff while helping our residents to reimagine their neighborhoods. This work will have a positive impact in our city for generations to come, and this book will make it possible in many other communities. --Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor of Gary, Indiana Vacant to Vibrant provides a blueprint for adaptive reuse of vacant land that permeates many US cities. It provides a refreshing view of not jut successful projects, but also of the challenges faced in planning, building and maintaining formerly vacant land to support recreation, stormwater management, habitat, beauty and neighborhood identity. --Michelle Kondo, Scientist, Urban Forests, Human Health, and Environmental Quality, USDA Forest Service Vacant to Vibrant is a timely contribution to addressing the challenges of repurposing vacant land. The low-cost strategies that also engage stakeholders in the design process offers replicable real-world examples that can have real impact. --Mark Lindquist, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Michigan

Sandra Albo's book provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to revitalize communities from the ground up, starting with the potential of vacant lots. By capturing details and lessons learned of how communities are rebuilding after decades of economic and environmental decline, this book addresses and translates complex problems, from water infrastructure to social justice, for anyone looking to replicate these successes. --Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director and Waterkeeper, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper The citizens of Gary, IN owe a debt of gratitude to Sandra Albo and the Vacant to Vibrant project for helping solve the practical problem of stormwater runoff while helping our residents to reimagine their neighborhoods. This work will have a positive impact in our city for generations to come, and this book will make it possible in many other communities. --Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor of Gary, Indiana Vacant to Vibrant is a timely contribution to addressing the challenges of repurposing vacant land. The low-cost strategies that also engage stakeholders in the design process offers replicable real-world examples that can have real impact. --Mark Lindquist, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Michigan Vacant to Vibrant provides a blueprint for adaptive reuse of vacant land that permeates many US cities. It provides a refreshing view of not jut successful projects, but also of the challenges faced in planning, building and maintaining formerly vacant land to support recreation, stormwater management, habitat, beauty and neighborhood identity. --Michelle Kondo, Scientist, Urban Forests, Human Health, and Environmental Quality, USDA Forest Service

""Sandra Albo's book provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to revitalize communities from the ground up, starting with the potential of vacant lots. By capturing details and lessons learned of how communities are rebuilding after decades of economic and environmental decline, this book addresses and translates complex problems, from water infrastructure to social justice, for anyone looking to replicate these successes.""--Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director and Waterkeeper, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper ""The citizens of Gary, IN owe a debt of gratitude to Sandra Albo and the Vacant to Vibrant project for helping solve the practical problem of stormwater runoff while helping our residents to reimagine their neighborhoods. This work will have a positive impact in our city for generations to come, and this book will make it possible in many other communities.""--Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor of Gary, Indiana ""This well-laid out, easy to read ""how-to"" guide is a valuable contribution to multiple literatures, on vacant lots, green infrastructure, community engagement, and even project management....worthy of attention and discussion as healthy urban livability becomes a more pressing need.""-- ""Journal of Urban Affairs"" ""Vacant to Vibrant is a timely contribution to addressing the challenges of repurposing vacant land. The low-cost strategies that also engage stakeholders in the design process offers replicable real-world examples that can have real impact.""--Mark Lindquist, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Michigan ""Vacant to Vibrant is both an easy-to-follow guide and a detailed case study of holistic, interdisciplinary work. The process itself and many of the insights of the case transcend the specific context of the Great Lakes and would be beneficial to planning practitioners or action-oriented teaching and scholarship.""-- ""Journal of the American Planning Association"" ""Vacant to Vibrant provides a blueprint for adaptive reuse of vacant land that permeates many US cities. It provides a refreshing view of not jut successful projects, but also of the challenges faced in planning, building and maintaining formerly vacant land to support recreation, stormwater management, habitat, beauty and neighborhood identity.""--Michelle Kondo, Scientist, Urban Forests, Human Health, and Environmental Quality, USDA Forest Service

Author Information

Sandra Albro, research associate at Holden Forests & Gardens and project manager for Vacant to Vibrant, studies how urban greening projects on vacant lots can manage stormwater and revitalize neighborhoods in Great Lakes cities. She is also co-chair for the Cleveland Tree Coalition, a local collaborative that is working to implement the Cleveland Tree Plan to grow urban tree canopy.

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