Strategies to Revitalize America’s Abandoned Properties and Legacy Neighborhoods

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) 2022 report, there are over 1.5 million abandoned properties in the United States, many of which are in disrepair and awaiting revitalization. These abandoned sites include industrial building sites, empty office parks, shopping centers that have lost their anchor tenants, and abandoned industrial waterfronts. With a clear vision and a thoughtful action plan, these areas can transform into vibrant community spaces.

Over the decades, shifts in market demand, industry trends, and lifestyle choices have left many properties vacant. After World War II, populations moved from cities to the suburbs (mostly due to federal lending practices that incentivized new housing projects on the urban fringe). In recent years, the rise of online shopping and specialty stores has resulted in empty commercial buildings. The COVID-19 pandemic further increased office vacancies as remote work became the norm for many people, prompting employees to relocate from urban areas to the Sunbelt region. Four years later, national office vacancy rates remain high at 20.9%, impacting downtowns and suburban business parks.

Meanwhile, the nation is experiencing a significant housing shortage; there simply aren’t enough quality, affordable dwellings to meet demand. For urban planners and developers, these trends pose a crucial question: How can we creatively transform these underutilized spaces into thriving communities that meet today’s challenges and enhance the quality of life for all residents?

Key Revitalization Approaches Today

Revitalizing our legacy neighborhoods, commercial corridors, waterfronts, and antiquated industrial properties requires defining community needs and implementing a systematic approach to reactivate these areas with new land uses and public amenities. Here are four main targets for revitalization:

Convert and Modernize Existing Structures (Adaptive Reuse)

Adaptive reuse improves and retrofits existing structures to enhance functionality, appearance, or accommodate new uses. Examples include:

• Converting former office buildings into residential units
• Subdividing former “big box” stores into smaller commercial spaces
• Transforming vacant storefronts into light manufacturing and maker spaces

However, some challenges to adaptive reuse include electrical/telecommunication upgrades, life/safety compliance, asbestos abatement, and achieving a functional building layout.

Build New Opportunities on Vacant Urban Lots (Urban Infill)

Urban infill involves constructing new development projects on vacant urban lots, seamlessly integrating into the surrounding context. Examples include:

• Replacing a surface parking lot with a mixed-use building
• Expanding retail spaces onto undeveloped portions of a commercial site
• Adding a garage apartment to a home’s backyard

Challenges associated with urban infill projects include constrained lot areas, parking requirements, utility service deficiencies, potential environmental liabilities (i.e., soil contamination), and even project financing.

Replace Outdated Sites with Transformative Developments (Redevelopment)

Redevelopment entails razing and replacing existing structures that cannot effectively accommodate new uses. Examples include:

• Demolishing a vacant shopping center and replacing it with apartments
• Replacing an antiquated manufacturing plant with a new mixed-use project
• Stabilizing a former landfill to create a passive public park

Upgrade Streets, Parks, and Public Spaces for Community Use (Public Realm Enhancements)

Public realm enhancements improve the appearance and functionality of streets, sidewalks, parks, and other public spaces to better accommodate and entice human activities, complementing adjacent properties. Examples include:

• Adding landscaping along public streets
• Repairing sidewalks
• Adding recreational amenities to parks, schools, and other public spaces

Enhancements to the public realm improve marketability, attract residents, and project a positive image of the district. Funding represents a significant challenge. 

Charting the Course for Change 

Perhaps the most important phase of a revitalization initiative is to define a clear vision for how the property or neighborhood should evolve in the next five to twenty years. Successful revitalization projects include community members, leaders, and industry experts coming together to explore current conditions, identify opportunities, and consider local need to achieve a shared vision (or goal) for what the area/property will become. With a clear vision in mind, stakeholders can define the near- and long-term actions to set the trajectory for positive change.  

Five Strategies for Successful Revitalization 

Communities and property owners need to take incremental actions to revitalize properties and entice new tenants, residents, and visitors. For abandoned sites, we need a willing property owner, and for distressed neighborhoods, we need local governments and committed stakeholders to lead the change. Notable revitalization strategies include: 

1. Adapt Regulatory Tools to Encourage Investment

   Zoning, building codes, and comprehensive plans define how properties can be developed and used. While these laws are intended to protect human life and ensure harmonious land use, rigid standards can hinder revitalization by deterring investment. Simple amendments, like refining parking requirements, reducing building setbacks, and expanding allowable uses, can make a big difference.

2. Identify Necessary Infrastructure Upgrades

   Development projects require reliable infrastructure, such as roads, utilities, stormwater management, and telecommunications. Assess the area’s infrastructure and identify necessary capital improvements to support investment, business operations, and resident well-being.

3. Resolve Environmental Barriers

   Legacy commercial and industrial properties may have contamination or hazardous substances (e.g., asbestos, petroleum). These conditions must be addressed before a contaminated site can be redeveloped, adding costs and delays. Communities can fund environmental site assessments (ESAs) and technical studies to identify and remediate hazards, paving the way for new development.

4. Secure Funding

   Revitalization efforts will involve substantial capital investments, professional expertise/services, and promotional resources which equate to a need for funding/financing. As communities and property owners embark on revitalization plans, it’s essential to identify funding sources (e.g., budget allocations, grants etc.) and match those potential funds to specific projects and professional services. Notably, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfield grants are specifically tailored to support area revitalization by providing funding and technical support for ESAs, cleanup action plans, community engagement, and reuse planning on brownfields.

5. Rebrand and Market Districts to Attract New Interest

   Many neighborhoods and commercial districts come with decades of negative history and poor perceptions. There are opportunities to rebrand and market those areas as new and evolved destinations – an effective marketing campaign would entice investors, small business startups, new residents, and visitors by clearly defining what the area IS in terms of amenities, commercial services, goods/services, and living experience.

View of the Elma Visitor Station in Elma, Washington; an example of a former service station adaptively reused for a new community-serving use. Montrose’s Urban Planner, Ryan Givens, helped the City devise an area-wide plan for the larger Downtown.