What does a city do to respond to its vacancy crisis? What might Philadelphia imagine for its future; what ideas might be generated if we looked at the 40,000 vacant properties as assets, not as liabilities? How might the repurposing of this land inform new ways of living in the urban environment? Philadelphia LANDvisions inspired innovative thinking about the future of Philadelphia’s vacant land inventory. This three-phased initiative employed the lens of Philadelphia’s ecology along with community voice to generate new, ecologically sounds design solutions for the city.

Urban Arboreta: transforming ground will transform urban vacant lots into self-sustaining and environmentally sound models for nursery production. Urban Arboreta will have a strong community focus, offering educational programs and opportunities for professional job training in the nursery trade, benefiting the ecological, social and economic health of Philadelphia's neighborhoods.