Temporary Greenspace Development for Community Benefits

Description

This document develops the issue of stalled spaces through 5 chapters:

• Problems caused by stalled spaces;
• Opportunities offered by stalled spaces;
• Obstacles to the development of temporary greenspaces in stalled spaces;
• Possible solutions;
• Stalled and temporary spaces in policies and strategies.

The main problem caused by stalled spaces is that they emanate a rundown feel and uncertainty over their future, which has negative economic, environmental and social repercussions. However, these spaces offer possibilities as well: by allowing temporary uses, they could for instance contribute to green infrastructure, community engagement, and offer educational or recreational opportunities.

There are nonetheless several obstacles that deter the development of temporary green spaces. Many of these problems are of a legal nature, but local planning policies and the expected reluctance of the local community to quit the stalled space when development can recommence are also main disincentives. Solutions that are suggested in order to enable temporary developments are formal exit strategies, the offering of tax incentives, coordination between governmental bodies and technical guidance in the creation and management of a site.

Finally, the report offers references from planning strategies that explicitly include possibilities for temporary use of stalled spaces, ranging from cities such as Edinburgh and London to Tokyo and Freiburg. In the final chapter it summarizes a wealth of weblinks that can inspire temporary use of stalled spaces.

Contact

For further information please contact Greenspace Scotland
Tel: (0044) (0) 1786 465 934
E-mail: info@greenspacescotland.org.uk

Publication Date

September 2010

Document Type

Research document