Abstract

VACANT LAND: A Spatial Analysis of Redevelopment Opportunities in Philadelphia
Track: Urban and Regional Planning
Authors: Brian Traylor

Vacant land has a negative impact on urban neighborhoods, and municipal finances. Almost 40,000 parcels in Philadelphia are vacant, 75% of which are privately controlled; resulting in continued disinvestment and deterioration of neighborhoods with concentrations of vacancy. This session will review a research initiative focused on a citywide spatial analysis of each vacant parcel within the city of Philadelphia with the goal of ranking each property's likelihood of redevelopment. The study included a location-based environmental analysis overlayed with a residual land valuation model to determine apartment development profitability in Philadelphia. This effort aims to reduce the barriers to initial private investment, and offer officials tasked with redevelopment in urban areas with a first step toward a market-driven solution to a critical problem. The results of the analysis will be summarized through a series of citywide and neighborhood maps depicting the areas with the highest and lowest concentrations of likely development.