In a downtown, there are series of spaces that could be considered public spaces. The sum of those public spaces makes up the whole… that would be the downtown. When you are dealing with public spaces, it is necessary to devise a strategy for each place. It is not good enough to just devise one strategy when you have problematic spaces within the downtown.

One of the most problematic public spaces in a downtown is the vacant lot. Depending on the ownership, there will be constraints on what you can do with the lot. If you have access to the lot and you can use it to make something positive happen, it is always a plus. 

A vacant lot could be something that sets off a downtown or detracts from the appearance. Lots need to be clean. Lots sometimes are a magnet for candy wrappers, pieces of napkins and the like because lots tend to act as a wind tunnel. A vacant lot with a partial fence is an electromagnet for trash, sometimes picking up items such as sneakers and miscellaneous kitchen items.

There could be an effort through the public sector to improve a lot. Usually the public entity would have to purchase the property and that sometimes takes a longer time.  There are other quicker ways to deal with the problem, but the purchase option offers the greatest chance for success and the most permanent solution.

I have seen some lots turned into community gardens that makes it not only a center for activity, but also makes it green. Community gardens may be more neighborhood oriented, but I have seen them on South Street and they do from time to time spring up on a main street. 

Many vacant lots are a walking cut-through with a path established. If the current vegetation is acceptable, perhaps a group could consider putting down some wood chips on the path to acknowledge the cut through and provide it as an amenity and not a detraction of being a muddy path. Vegetation, although sometimes unplanned, could be the delineating line for the wood chipped path… even if it extends a little farther than the original path. 

Stone sometimes is a more permanent product for the cut through and many times, it should be rolled when it is set down. If you are working on someone else’s property, it is a good idea to put down woodchips. Some people will have issues of liability so it might be difficult in some situations to put down stone. Woodchips could be spread to cover up the trail from vegetation to vegetation and acts as attractive ground cover.  Each property owner will feel differently.

If there is, an opportunity to add vegetation, it is always a plus. A couple of volunteers with a rake and a few younger volunteers planting some seeds is always a low cost/ no cost solution. Getting “ready to go plants” at a garden store and planting in an organized pattern is even better. There are always people in the community who would be willing to help design a potential display on a vacant lot. Flowers do a number of things. They keep people out of certain areas and they offer beauty. It is not often you have people just walking through flowers but sometimes they do.

Another way of working on a vacant lot is raking the junk out of it… be it junk vegetation or literal junk… and planting grass. Grass is good to keep a nice green look to the property. Low level ground plantings will do the same and may not require the maintenance of grass or flowers.

No matter what application, there is a need for someone to “adopt” that lot to make sure it still maintains the intent of the improvement. This is not a set it and forget it thing, someone will need to follow through on the project.

The follow through also goes for every public space project. I remember the time in Downingtown when a well-meaning volunteer bought flower plants to put next to the trees. They looked great until they needed water.  The pots grew into an embarrassment when the flowers died, people kicked them accidently and normal wear and team made them broken pots of dried dirt. Although the pots were good to begin with, they turned into a negative.

Volunteer improvement of the downtown could manifest itself in many ways.  Improving a public space is a worthwhile effort. It is empowering to take a place and make it your own. To take a lot that is bringing a negative outlook to your downtown and make it look good.