What do a waterfall, skatepark, and tightrope have in common? How about innovative ideas for empty city real estate. Take a barren lot between two buildings, add a fallen tree, and you've got the template for the city's latest project; a website designed for city residents (or anyone for that matter), to think outside the box...
Outlandish or sensible, all ideas are welcome on one of Baltimore's newest projects designed to "spark conversation about unused urban space." The Baltimore Infill Survey, launched by Baltimore's Office of Promotion & the Arts, is a Flickr-based site that has been set up as a forum to discuss and design uses for vacant space. Although the survey is not necessarily intended for site-specific development, it does hope to address ways to beautify the 30,000 abandoned buildings and lots (with the city owning about a third of them). Of course you could just fill the sites in with buildings, but most ideas are lending themselves to "keeping the space," says Fred Scharmen in an interview with the Baltimore Sun. If your feeling a spark of creativity, you can download the stock image for your own proposal here.
How about all the other cities out there? Can anyone share ways their hometowns are gathering input from residents?
(Image: John Ruppert via Baltimore Sun)
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this is the greatest idea, and most beautiful thing!!!
view hla21's profile
I saw an actual artificial waterfall yesterday that was almost this cool, so except for the rock escarpment, this could actually happen (should anyone be willing to finance it!)
I know it's Old, but I still like the idea of pocket parks and community gardens in urban empty lots. (Although even those can be designed beautifully -- or not.)
view SherryBinNH's profile
Me too Sherry
view Lizzykewl's profile
I live in Baltimore and it would be great to see those abandoned spaces put to use as anything other than an ugly board up. Not only are they health hazards with squatters and all kinds of stray animals living in them, but it is so much wasted space!! Baltimore is such a great city and these boardups are just an eyesore surrounding all our beautiful landmarks and history. I say bring on some skate parks and community vegetable gardens!
view soniaandreia's profile
I guess the biggest challenge would be to keep kids/dumb adults from trying to climb the rocks and then suing the city after they fall. It would be so wonderful if cities could do this without fear.
view baileyb's profile
I still think pocket parks and public squares are the best kind of infill. That waterfall sure is interesting, and no doubt it'd look awesome at night all lit up, but I don't think it'd be a very affordable infill project. If the surrounding buildings were occupied, I'd also wonder if the tenants would be comfortable having a waterfall next door. I actually think filling the space in with row houses in the same architectural style would be the best thing to do — then the whole block would have a unified look to it.
view Alaricus's profile