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INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Impacts of Residential Demolition and the Sustainable
Re-use of Vacant Lots (Cleveland, Ohio)
Background
Post-industrial cities share the
problems of ageing civic and water
infrastructure, a depleted tax base,
and underserved populations lacking
basic environmental services and
opportunity. For example, due to the
recent spike in foreclosures coupled
with continued blight within U.S.
urban cores, the number of resident-
ial demolitions has increased, and so
has the amount of vacant land. These
demolitions of residential housing
change landform and the social and
economic fabric of a neighborhood
and the surrounding city area.
U.S. cities also struggle with the
management of urban stormwater
runoff. This is even more of an issue
in recent times as the expense of
legal actions against large cities for
combined sewer overflows that
violate the Clean Water Act (1972)
has caused governments to look for
ways to manage storm flows without
resorting to traditional, capital-
intensive wastewater infrastructure.
Alternatively, vacant lots can also be
a significant natural resource that
helps address cities' needs. For
example, the spaces in urban soils
can detain excess stormwater runoff.
Project Overview
In this project, EPA researchers
study the feasibility of restoring
vacant lots as green infrastructure,
using rain gardens, green roofs, and
other techniques to soak up excess
urban runoff. To areas historically
without green space, green infra-
structure can also provide eco-
system services such as pollinator
activity, heat relief, and generally
more pleasant surroundings.
The project takes a comprehensive
look at the nature of urban soils
and their relative ability to store
and redistribute water. The
research expands knowledge of
how demolition affects vacant lots
and their utility for re-use. Finally,
the work generates science-based
recommendations on revising
demolition practices and managing
disturbed soils in vacant lots.
Objective
The main objective of this work is to
quantify the prospects for re-use of
vacant land and urban soils for
stormwater management, for the
provision of ecosystem services, and
for the general public good.
Methods
In a sampling of vacant lots and city
parks from the far east side to the
near west side of Cleveland, Ohio,
researchers assessed the depth to
refusal (an indirect measure of how
much rubble was left behind at the
time of demolition), canopy cover,
and hydraulic conductivity (ease of
water movement) at the surface and
in the subsoils of both undisturbed
(back yard right-of-way) and
disturbed (where the residence
previously stood) areas of vacant
lots. Researchers also made soil
nutrient analyses and described soils
to a depth of at least 12 ft. (4m.).
A typical vacant lot in Cleveland, Ohio.
Results and Discussion
Researchers observed that even for
the more thorough post-1996
demolitions, debris removal was
usually incomplete, leaving much
large debris (concrete, brick, wood,
etc.). After an incomplete
demolition, lots may require
additional preparation prior to
further improvements. Observations
also indicated that demolition
contractors do not typically adhere
to the requirements promulgated in
Cleveland, Ohio.
All soils sampled had a reasonable
degree of fertility, though the data
suggest that soils in residential
vacant lots require some degree of
management to restore nutrient and
organic matter cycling. Soil
restoration in residential filled areas
should start with a tilth-building
program that adds raw or composted
organic matter and incorporates
serial cover-cropping with deep-
rooted species, and may include
other approaches to initiate organic
matter cycling and promote water
infiltration and redistribution.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
EPA600-F-11-015
June 2011
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After separating out subsoil
hydraulic conductivity data from
vacant lots based on their pre-1996
or post-1996 demolition practice,
and accounting for correspondent
subsoil taxonomy, the findings
showed that the type of demolition
(pre-1996 versus post-1996) was a
key predictor of whether high sub-
surface hydraulic conductivity was
due to massive voids left by an
incomplete demolition process or
due to actual subsoil characteristics
(i.e., the type of fill soil material).
Conclusion
Demolition practice had a major
influence on the site's suitability for
sustainable re-use. In particular,
subsurface hydrology was affected
by poor fill packing, and the
presence of large debris.
The data suggest that demolition
practice requires adjustment to
preserve any existing soil and
hydrologic attributes of vacant lots,
and to maximize future re-use
potential. The study lays the
groundwork for learning how to
conduct a demolition that creates the
opportunity for the flexible re-use of
vacant land.
Future Work
The next step is to test the
effectiveness of green infrastructure
in improving ecosystem-level
processes by actually restoring and
monitoring vacant lots. Researchers
will use principles of adaptive
management to guide a green-
infrastructure retrofit of a
neighborhood block in the Slavic
Village Development Corporation
area in Cleveland, Ohio.
Implementing green infrastructure,
among other applications, may foster
more sustainable stormwater
management and extend quality
ecosystem services to areas
historically lacking these attributes.
Contact
William Shuster, Ph.D., Office of
Research & Development, 513-569-
7244, shuster.william@epa.gov
A vacant lot in Cleveland, Ohio
before any improvements.
References
1. An anatomy of urban residential
demolition and its impacts on
hydrology and sustainable re-
use of vacant lots (Cleveland,
OH USA). WD Shuster, P
Drohan, S Dadio, J Shaffer, B
Furio, A Kelty, and P Clark.
Submitted to Landscape and
Urban Planning. May 31 2011.
2. Moving beyond the udorthent-
a proposed protocol for
surveying urban soils to service
data needs for contemporary
urban ecosystem management.
WD Shuster, A Barkasi, P
Clark, S Dadio, P Drohan, B
Furio, T Gerber, T Houser, A
Kelty, R Losco, K Reinbold, J
Shaffer, J Wander, and M
Wigington. Soil Survey
Horizons. Spring 2011.
Recycled/ recyclable
Printed with vegetable-based ink on
paper that consists of a minimum of
50% post-consumer fiber content
processed chlorine free
After extensive post-demolition
debris removal, soil management,
and plantings, the same vacant lot is
now an attractive addition to the
neighborhood.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
EPA600-F-11-015
June 2011
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