Dm

For the past five years I have been working as a design and planning consultant with the City Parks Association on community engagement and provocation over the issue of vacant land in Philadelphia. Initially, I worked on public engagement for the Urban Voids Ideas competition. I am now transforming the competition entries into a web resource for the community to research and exchange ideas related to new uses for vacant land in the city. The site is a custom designed and developed web application that I am constructing using the Django web framework.

The Action Manual is a call for strategic reuse of vacant lots, and a resource for communities, individuals, and policy makers interested in direct action to rehabilitate Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. It present new ideas for education, skill-sharing, farming and food security, recreation, arts, information, and energy, alongside best practice examples and resources for turning ideas into action. Many of these ideas have implications and can provide resources beyond the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Some solutions are small-scale and may be implemented with a baseline level of investment; others require neighborhood cooperation and long-term planning. Each has the potential to empower individuals and foster a sense of ownership in the community. Whether you’re a lot owner, block captain, neighborhood association, or simply one person looking to help, taking action to make use of Philadelphia’s urban voids is possible at all scales.