Challenges in Reusing Vacant Residential Land in Legacy Cities for Green Stormwater Infrastructure: The Cases of Detroit and Cleveland

Legacy city plans prescribe reusing vacant residential land for green uses that improve quality of life and strengthen neighborhoods. To reduce combined sewer overflows, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), a possible reuse of vacant land consistent with those plans. Case studies of two cities, based on interviews, meetings, and government documents, revealed that GSI rarely reused vacant land because goals of mayors, sewer agencies, and neighborhood advocates were incompatible; reforms to facilitate GSI emphasized development sites; and no measures protected GSI from destruction. Nonprofit organizations will likely lead efforts to install GSI on vacant residential land at smaller scale.