Ephemeral

Abstract

Have you ever noticed that in most cities there are empty building lots, vacant land and underutilized sites everywhere? Empty lots are not only a wasted resource, they can be an attractive nuisance for a neighborhood, even if they have a future purpose and are just temporarily vacant. Making productive use of under-utilized land in our cities is an opportunity to address several issues at once by converting unproductive land into a neighborhood resource that provides sustainable and affordable housing. These interventions might be small and temporary or might be the building blocks for larger, more permanent settlements. I call this approach “Ephemeral Architecture.” Ephemeral architecture reclaims under-utilized land and puts them into productive use without diminishing their long-term possibilities for future development.