Multiple Contiguous Blocks
Multiple, contiguous blocks
Vacant blocks reclaimed for different purposes: new buildings, private gardens, community, meeting places, orchard, and playfield
Multiple, contiguous blocks that are partially or completely vacant create big holes in urban neighborhoods. This type of vacant land is distinguished from the Swiss-cheese pattern by the large scale of abandonment. Whereas the swiss-cheese pattern may include missing teeth, vacant corners, and small connectors, as well as an occasional vacant block, this pattern includes vacant blocks of an acre or more. In West Philadelphia, this pattern of abandonment often occurs on the buried floodplain of Mill Creek, which was encased in a sewer in the 1800s.
For more on Multiple Contiguous Vacant Blocks and their potential future use, see Vacant Urban Land: A Resource for Reshaping Urban Neighborhoods.
Related
Explore Mill CreekThe Buried River
Coming Full Circle