Author Description

Vacant Land Regeneration: Novel Strategies for Maximizing Local Impact provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of vacant land regeneration through the lens of influential research, groundbreaking case studies, and future trends, and equips readers with the knowledge needed to transform vacant spaces into valuable community assets. The regeneration of vacant and abandoned urban land is a critical challenge facing both urbanized, urbanizing, and un-urbanizing regions. Nearly 150 large cities worldwide are experiencing intense depopulation or are shrinking due to urban decline, post-industrial shifts, dwindling populations, and poor land management practices. As cities confront this growing issue, a significant shift in urban development approaches is emerging, one that moves away from an exclusive focus on growth and instead prioritizes quality of life, sustainability, and resilience. The book is structured into four key sections, each reflecting a major area of research and practice in vacant land regeneration: urban policy and classifications; ecosystem services and resilience; remediation and public health; and community engagement. With insights from key researchers and urban planners, this book inspires a transformative approach to urban development, one that fosters healthier, greener, and more resilient cities. It is an essential resource for both scholars and practitioners in the field of urban regeneration.