Vacant land prevails in shrinking cities that have experienced urban outmigration and economic decline. Low-income neighborhoods and blight lead to conditions where vacant lots exist, consequently producing disamenities for the residents that live near them. Considered magnets of crime and stigmatized for their association with urban decay, vacant land is an environmental justice issue not often directly addressed by municipal governments. Despite this, vacant lots can still be seen as potential opportunities to improve social, environmental and economic qualities of life for surrounding residents. Urban agriculture, rain gardens and pocket parks are examples of how vacant lots can be reused to benefit communities.
The purpose of this research is to build an understanding of (1) why city-owned vacant lots exist in Binghamton, New York; (2) how they are maintained; (3) how their existence impacts surrounding residents; and most importantly, (4) what opportunities exist for their reactivation. My findings suggest that urban greening, such as community gardens and green infrastructure for stormwater management, and affordable housing development are the best uses for vacant lot redemption.
","abstract_html":"<p>Vacant land prevails in shrinking cities that have experienced urban outmigration and economic decline. Low-income neighborhoods and blight lead to conditions where vacant lots exist, consequently producing disamenities for the residents that live near them. Considered magnets of crime and stigmatized for their association with urban decay, vacant land is an environmental justice issue not often directly addressed by municipal governments. Despite this, vacant lots can still be seen as potential opportunities to improve social, environmental and economic qualities of life for surrounding residents. Urban agriculture, rain gardens and pocket parks are examples of how vacant lots can be reused to benefit communities.</p> <p>The purpose of this research is to build an understanding of (1) why city-owned vacant lots exist in Binghamton, New York; (2) how they are maintained; (3) how their existence impacts surrounding residents; and most importantly, (4) what opportunities exist for their reactivation. My findings suggest that urban greening, such as community gardens and green infrastructure for stormwater management, and affordable housing development are the best uses for vacant lot redemption.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Berkowitz, Pauline Helene"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Sustainable Communities","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:10:09Z","subjects":["Social sciences","Environmental justice","Shrinking cities","Urban greening","Vacant lots"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://orb.binghamton.edu/dissertation_and_theses/56","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Berkowitz, Pauline Helene"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sustainable Communities"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Social sciences","Environmental justice","Shrinking cities","Urban greening","Vacant lots"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://orb.binghamton.edu/dissertation_and_theses/56"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Vacant land prevails in shrinking cities that have experienced urban outmigration and economic decline. Low-income neighborhoods and blight lead to conditions where vacant lots exist, consequently producing disamenities for the residents that live near them. Considered magnets of crime and stigmatized for their association with urban decay, vacant land is an environmental justice issue not often directly addressed by municipal governments. Despite this, vacant lots can still be seen as potential opportunities to improve social, environmental and economic qualities of life for surrounding residents. Urban agriculture, rain gardens and pocket parks are examples of how vacant lots can be reused to benefit communities.
The purpose of this research is to build an understanding of (1) why city-owned vacant lots exist in Binghamton, New York; (2) how they are maintained; (3) how their existence impacts surrounding residents; and most importantly, (4) what opportunities exist for their reactivation. My findings suggest that urban greening, such as community gardens and green infrastructure for stormwater management, and affordable housing development are the best uses for vacant lot redemption.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Binghamton's missing teeth: a study of city-owned vacant lots in Binghamton, New York"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Berkowitz, Pauline Helene"],"dc:description.abstract":["Vacant land prevails in shrinking cities that have experienced urban outmigration and economic decline. Low-income neighborhoods and blight lead to conditions where vacant lots exist, consequently producing disamenities for the residents that live near them. Considered magnets of crime and stigmatized for their association with urban decay, vacant land is an environmental justice issue not often directly addressed by municipal governments. Despite this, vacant lots can still be seen as potential opportunities to improve social, environmental and economic qualities of life for surrounding residents. Urban agriculture, rain gardens and pocket parks are examples of how vacant lots can be reused to benefit communities.
The purpose of this research is to build an understanding of (1) why city-owned vacant lots exist in Binghamton, New York; (2) how they are maintained; (3) how their existence impacts surrounding residents; and most importantly, (4) what opportunities exist for their reactivation. My findings suggest that urban greening, such as community gardens and green infrastructure for stormwater management, and affordable housing development are the best uses for vacant lot redemption.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://orb.binghamton.edu/dissertation_and_theses/56"],"dc:subject":["Social sciences","Environmental justice","Shrinking cities","Urban greening","Vacant lots"],"dc:title":["Binghamton's missing teeth: a study of city-owned vacant lots in Binghamton, New York"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Sustainable Communities"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:10:09Z"}