Planting Parks to Remedy Blight

"Redfields to Greenfields," a project currently being developed at Georgia Tech in partnership with City Parks Alliance advocacy group, would convert empty commercial sites into parks, writes Nate Berg for The Atlantic Cities.

1 minute read

November 3, 2011, 7:00 AM PDT

By Kristopher Fortin

Proponents of the project argue that converting empty commercial space into parks would increase the value of property and spur new development. Houston, Denver and Atlanta are three of 11 cities that are involved in this project.

"In Atlanta, (Kevin Caravati, lead researcher on the project at the Georgia Tech Research Institute) says, $5 billion could pay for the purchase, demolition, redesign, construction, operations and maintenance of parks covering about 2,850 acres. With a glut of empty spaces and prices at historic lows, now would be an ideal time to make such an investment in communities struggling through the recession."

FULL STORY: Could Building Thousands of Parks Fix the Real Estate Market?

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 in The Atlantic Cities

Community / Economic Development Land Use Urban Development United States Colorado Georgia Texas Parks Redevelopment Blight commercial real estate Georgia Tech View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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