"Phytoremediation" is a growing field (pun intended) of practice that uses particular types of plants to leech toxic materials out of the soil in contaminated sites.
The Dirt, the blog of the American Society of Landscape Architects, reports on how urban brownfields in New York City are being cleaned up using phytoremediation. ASLA quotes urban designer Kaja Kuhl, Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University, who found that more than 11 percent of New York City is abandoned lots:
"If glued together, these disparate, small-scale lots would be the size of Manhattan. Also, most of the sites are small: 50 percent of all vacant lots of less than 2,500 square feet and 80 percent are less than 5,000 square feet. If applied across these small sites, low-cost and highly-effective phytoremediation techniques could have a powerful impact and help ensure future urban development is really just redevelopment."
Here's a video from ASLA that illustrates how phytoremediation works:
From Industrial Wasteland to Community Park from ASLA on Vimeo.
FULL STORY: Using Plants to Clean up Toxic Sites

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie