Providence’s vacant lot problem is tied to the dramatic depopulation trends that have occurred in the City’s poorest neighborhoods over the last fifty years. In the 1950’s, immigrant populations in areas like South Providence and Elmwood began to flee Providence for outlying suburban areas. Home ownership subsequently dropped and the housing stock began to rapidly deteriorate as absentee landlords neglected their properties. A period of economic decline coupled with depopulation led to the abandonment of many residential, commercial and industrial properties in the City. Old houses were burned or demolished, jobs dried up and new immigrant populations moved into neighborhoods like Upper and Lower South Providence that had the most vacant lots.

Defining Vacant Lots

The Special Vacant Lot Task Force Report (1997) defined vacant lots according to categories of healthy and unhealthy: "Unhealthy vacant land without structures can be classified,

(1) No maintenance - some larger objects, small piles of waste, weeds higher then 3 feet

(2) Landfill-Like – large objects including sofas, auto parts, large piles of waste/debris, weeds over 5 ft high, may be used for illegal dumping."

Simply put, "A vacant lot is a neglected parcel of property that has no buildings on it. In many cases, houses were on these lots, but as they fell into disrepair they were burned or demolished." (http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Environmental_Studies/summit)

The exact definition of a vacant lot can have important ramifications for the planning and redevelopment process. The Department of Planning and Development keeps a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) database with all of the City’s properties, including lots that are classified as residential vacant lots, commercial vacant lots and "other" vacant land. Under these categories, side lots, parking lots, small gardens or even well maintained properties without a standing structure were classified as vacant. Therefore the City’s estimate of vacant properties may be an overestimate based on the definition noted here. Reassessments of city parcels together with a clear definition of what constitutes vacant land would be helpful in planning future redevelopment projects.

How many vacant lots exist in the city? The number of vacant lots is not static because current vacant properties are bought or redeveloped and new vacant lots are created via demolition of old structures. No one keeps track of the exact number of vacant lots; the Planning Department’s records of vacant lots are based on 1996 property assessments from the Tax Assessor’s records. The best estimate of vacant properties is as follows:

Where are the Vacant Lots?  Map 3 shows the location of vacant lots throughout the city (this includes all lots classified as commercial, residential and other vacant properties). This information about vacant lots is outdated because it is based on the last real estate assessment in the City, conducted in 1987. Although a reassessment of vacant lots was conducted this year, the results of it have not been released yet to the public. If we look at the number of lots by neighborhood, Upper and Lower South Providence has the largest number of vacant lots and Blackstone has the least. The Vacant Lot lists the number of lots in six neighborhoods based on the Planning Department’s land code data from 1996.

Table1: Number of vacant lots in 6 Providence neighborhoods

Map 4 – Vacant Lots in South Providence, shows the location of vacant lots in Upper and Lower South Providence. Vacant lots can take up entire blocks on contiguous parcels throughout parts of Upper and Lower South Providence. The prevalence of vacant, blighted land in South Providence, especially in residential areas, can have a devastating effect on the overall character of a neighborhood.

Why are Vacant Lots a Problem?

Large numbers of vacant, blighted lots in a neighborhood can have several negative impacts:

1. Illegal dumping: Vacant lots make easy targets for illegal dumping because they are not closely monitored or maintained.
2. Hazardous conditions: Lots can be contaminated with an assortment of pollutants such as heavy metals like lead or organic compounds like oil. These pollutants may be a result of previous uses or illegal dumping on the properties. Lot contamination can be a health hazard for anyone (especially children) who has contact with the lot soil or debris.
3. Vermin: Residents complain about the presence of rats and rodents in their homes and neighborhoods. Vacant, overgrown, littered lots can provide the perfect habitat for vermin. If children are playing on or near lots with vermin, there is the danger of rodent bites. Residents feel that rats diminish their quality of life and their sense of pride about where they live.
4. Crime: Lots are often the sites of illicit activities, again because they are not monitored or protected by anyone. I witnessed firsthand how crime can occur on vacant lots. While collecting soil samples for soil lead testing from a group of vacant lots on Harvard Street, a fight broke out twice on an adjacent lot between youths from a nearby residence (12/18/99).
5. Lowered Property Values: Grow Smart Rhode Island’s recent report on the effects of sprawl estimates that Providence has experienced a depreciation of property valuations between 1988 and 1998 of up to 32%. This dramatic decrease in property values is largely attributed to the population decline and vacant, abandoned land in the City.
6. Wasted Opportunities: Vacant land in Providence represents foregone property tax revenues. Properties generate more tax revenue for a City if they have functional, well-maintained structures on them. Currently, many of these vacant lots are abandoned and tax delinquent and even when the tax payments are current, the properties can be a blight on surrounding property values.
7. Diminishes Quality of Life: Residents have voiced their dislike of having vacant land in their neighborhoods. In focus groups leading up to and during the Livable Providence 2000 Conference, residents and community organizers pointed out the impact that vacant, dirty lots has on their quality of life.
8. Environmental Justice: The disproportionate amount of vacant lots in low-income and minority neighborhoods makes the problem of vacant lots an environmental justice problem. Environmental justice is defined by the EPA as: "a movement promoting the fair treatment of people of all races, income, and culture with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no person or group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental impacts" (www.epa.gov/oeca/main/ej.html). Map 1, Low-income populations, shows Providence neighborhoods according to income levels and Map 2, Minority populations, shows Providence neighborhoods according to racial/ethnic makeup. Upper and Lower South Providence are neighborhoods made up mostly up low-medium income and minority people.

 

Who are the stakeholders in vacant lot redevelopment? I define "Stakeholder" as any individual, group of individuals, organization, or agency with a vested or stated interest in the issue of vacant lots. There are many non-profit organizations in neighborhoods that are interested in vacant lot redevelopment, either directly or indirectly, that I did not include in the list below. But, this is a good representation of the "usual suspects" involved with vacant lot issues:

Other stakeholders not listed in any of the above categories include: Private developers, private vacant lot owners, and land speculators.

What’s been done so far to redevelop these lots? Over the past several years there have some been efforts on the part of different stakeholders to improve the vacant lot redevelopment process.

Since the Mayor’s Vacant Lot Task Force Report, some steps have been taken to address the lack of vacant lot redevelopment. The $1/Lot Program from the PRA is one example of a recommendation that was put into practice as a result of the recommendations in this report. While the above list shows that some progress has been made, much more can be done to redevelop vacant land in South Providence, such as actively marketing the $1/Lot Program to transfer more lots to residents.

by Ana Baptista

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