Philadelphia is embarking on a risky $295 million urban renewal project to demolish 14,000 abandoned homes and replace vacant lots with urban prairie.
Philadelphia embarked last week on a $295 million, five-year plan to demolish 14,000 largely abandoned homes, renovate 2,500 buildings and clear 31,000 vacant lots. Urban prairie will replace acres of vacant redbrick row houses and ghostly Victorian shells.Given clear title to tracts of this newly cleared land, private developers will step in and rebuild -- or, at least, such is the hope of city officials.
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
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