Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Fallow Ground | Future City is a University of Virginia landscape-architecture proposal that treats New Orleans’ vacant lots, concrete remnants, infrastructural edges and difficult soils as working parts of the city—not as empty spaces awaiting conventional redevelopment. Recognized with a 2015 Student Awards Honor Award in Analysis & Planning by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the project offers adaptable prototypes for stormwater management, public space, canopy, productive planting and workforce training.
Its central answer to the question “What can cities do with vacant land?” is to match each site’s physical condition and neighborhood needs with a low-capital, maintainable landscape strategy. The award entry documents a design exploration, not a citywide construction program or measured performance study, so its proposals should be read as a framework for action rather than proof that every suggested intervention was built.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What is Fallow Ground | Future City?
Fallow Ground | Future City examines how New Orleans can use land left vacant or underused after disinvestment, demolition, flooding and infrastructure change. Instead of defining a vacant parcel by what is missing—a house, a business or a planned development—the project asks what ecological, civic and economic work the parcel could perform now.
The credited University of Virginia team is Margaret Baldwin, Hannah Barefoot, Alexandra Dimitri, Jennifer Livingston, Mary McCall, Lucy McFadden, Margaret Plumb and Scott Shinton, with Julie Bargmann as faculty advisor. The project received the 2015 Student Awards Honor Award in the Analysis & Planning category. The official award entry describes a menu of prototypes that individuals, community organizations and municipal agencies could select, combine and adapt to local conditions.
Popular on Amazon
- Ergonomically Designed: Work in tight areas with a compact design that gets into tough spots
- Both tools are designed to fit into difficult to reach spaces
- Complete a wide range of applications with a high-performance motor that delivers up to 300 UWO, and an impact driver delivering up to 1,400 in-lbs of torque
- Both the DEWALT impact driver and drill driver feature integrated LED work lights with a convenient 20-second delay, ensuring enhanced visibility in dimly lit or challenging work areas
- One-Handed Loading - Keep one hand free with a 1/4 in. hex chuck that accepts 1 in. bit tips
The project’s conclusion uses four deliberately provocative reversals: “Abandoned = Available. Empty = Full. Vacant = Inviting. Derelict = Fertile.” Those phrases are project language, not a claim that every abandoned site is immediately safe or usable. They express a change in what a city chooses to see in land between past use and future development.
Why does vacant land matter in New Orleans?
New Orleans’ vacant land is not one uniform category. It can mean a residential lot beside occupied homes, a concrete slab left after demolition, a strip along infrastructure, a cluster of parcels inside a city block or ground described as contaminated. Each condition affects what can be done, who can do it and how much continuing care will be required.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
The project narrative reports that the New Orleans Redevelopment Agency owned 2,400 properties. It also reports that 52 percent of African-American men in New Orleans were not formally employed in 2014. These figures belong to the project’s narrative; the award entry does not identify the underlying datasets or provide a reference year for the property count. They should therefore be treated as historical context supplied by the designers, not as current, independently verified city statistics.
Linking land and employment is important to the proposal. Fallow Ground is not only a planting scheme. It connects materials, distribution, installation, maintenance and management with opportunities for neighborhood participation and workforce training. A vacant lot becomes useful when the design accounts for who will build it, who can reach it, how it will be maintained and what public benefit it provides.
How does the project turn site conditions into design choices?
The framework starts with a site’s existing material and hydrology, then chooses a prototype or combination of prototypes. Water, concrete, bare or contaminated soil, tree canopy and the pattern of vacancies each call for a different response. This site-specific approach avoids treating every lot as a miniature park or assuming that one planting palette can solve every problem.
The prototypes are intentionally adaptable. They are presented as strategies that can be implemented without large capital investment, but the award entry does not establish that each one was constructed or evaluated over time. A city or community group would still need to confirm ownership, access, public-safety requirements, soil conditions, drainage, permissions, funding and long-term stewardship before implementation.
What is the “Puddle Jumper” stormwater concept?
“Puddle Jumper” proposes planted forms and low-maintenance planting regimes that collect water locally. Rather than moving all rainfall away through distant infrastructure, the concept uses the landscape itself as a place where water can be held and managed at a smaller scale.
Also popular on Amazon
- Valued Carpenter Pencil Set: You will get 2 pcs solid carpenter pencils with 26 piece 2.8 mm refills, 1 replaceable sharpener, 1 plastic storage box.The complete carpenter pencils combination allows you to finish your work faster and more easily
- Deep Hole Marker Pencil: The deep-hole construction pencils adopts 45mm elongated tip design, which is more convenient to mark in the small hole or in other tight areas that other carpenter markers cannot reach
- Carpenter Pencils with Sharpener: The sharpener is screwed into the top of the work pencil, which won't get lost either. Built-in pencil sharpener that keep the lead with pointed and smooth to Improves line of sight in fine work
- Stronger Solid Lead: This work pencil is matched with a 2.8 mm thick lead , which is much thicker and stronger during the drawing process of construction work, it will not break or damage easily
- Marks on Various Surfaces: 3 colors solid construction pencil can marks on various surfaces,such as metal, plastic, wood, paper etc. Ideals for woodworkers, contractors, craftsmen, builders, merchants and masons
The value of the idea is spatial as much as hydraulic. A series of planted depressions or forms can make water visible, give a vacant parcel an identifiable purpose and connect isolated lots into a broader neighborhood landscape. The project does not provide a stamped drainage design, capacity calculations, construction details or a guarantee of flood reduction. Those decisions would require site surveys, engineering and local approvals.
For a construction or public-works team, the practical lesson is to begin with where water already collects, how runoff enters and leaves the parcel, and who will maintain the planting after installation. The proposal treats maintenance as part of the infrastructure rather than an afterthought.
How does “Ground Breaker” reuse concrete slabs?
“Ground Breaker” adapts remnant concrete slabs into public spaces. A slab left by a demolished building is treated as a resource that can structure circulation, gathering or other civic uses instead of being automatically removed and replaced.
Reusing an existing slab can preserve a legible trace of the site while reducing the amount of new material required. The project’s point is not that every slab is suitable for public use. Structural condition, trip hazards, drainage, accessibility, heat, contamination and ownership would all have to be assessed. The prototype is a design direction; it is not a blanket instruction to open an abandoned slab to the public.
Its broader significance is that demolition debris can become part of a new public realm. Construction decisions—retain, cut, cover, plant or remove—are connected to the social purpose of the space, not made solely as a matter of clearing the parcel.
What does the project propose for lead-contaminated soil?
For sites described as having lead-contaminated soil, the entry proposes retaining and covering some concrete and establishing a planted thicket on bare soil. This is a landscape concept for limiting exposure and giving a difficult site a managed use; it is not a remediation protocol, testing method or safety guarantee.
Lead conditions require qualified environmental assessment, applicable regulations, exposure controls, documentation and an operation-and-maintenance plan. The presence of plants does not by itself make contaminated ground safe, and the proposal should not be used to select species, determine soil-cover thickness or authorize public access. Any real project would need to follow the requirements of the responsible environmental and public-health authorities.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchAlso popular on Amazon
- 【Great Compatibility】This Katerk 1/4 inch hex shank bit holder is specifically designed for 1/4 inch hex shank drill bits. It's compatible with most 1/4 fast hex handles, hex sockets, various electric screwdrivers, and handheld screwdrivers. The bit holder makes it a valuable addition for any handyman.
- 【Secure and Safe】Built with a secure backup nut design, each drill bit holder securely locks onto your bits, ensuring they stay firmly in place. Additionally, our bit holder incorporates a high-quality steel ball rolling design that holds up to several kilograms of weight, ensuring your various drill bits don't fall off.
- 【Easy One-Handed Operation】The bit holder for impact driver allows you to change bits single-handedly, simplifying your workflow. Its multi-color design further allows for quick identification of the drill bit you need.
- 【Compact and Convenient】Thanks to its compact size, this 1/4 inch bit holder is easy to carry around. The bit holder allows for easy attachment to various tools, making this a convenient addition to your construction accessories. The Katerk bit holder is cast from high-quality alloy material, promising a long product lifespan. Despite its rugged strength, the bit holder remains lightweight, making it portable.
- 【Cool Christmas Gift For Men Stocking Stuffers】 This screwdriver bit holder, driver bit holder, impact bit holder, can be given as a gift to your loved one, especially for anyone involved in construction or electrical work. It's a must-have for stocking stuffers for men and women, tools gifts for dad, tech gadgets for men, gifts for dad, gifts for him, gifts for husband, gifts for boyfriend, cool gadgets for men, and cool gifts for dad.
The design contribution is to show that a contaminated parcel can be considered in a larger land-use conversation while technical remediation and risk management proceed. It also demonstrates why the project insists on matching interventions to site conditions rather than applying a universal vacant-lot recipe.
Can vacant lots become shared neighborhood space?
Yes, in the project’s framework, clustered vacancies can be opened into shared space within a block. Instead of managing every parcel as an isolated property, several lots can form a connected landscape with paths, gathering areas, planting and room for neighborhood activity.
This approach changes the scale of planning. A single lot may be too small to support a meaningful public program, while a group of adjoining or nearby vacancies can create continuity and visibility. The project does not claim that every owner would agree to a shared arrangement. Access agreements, liability, maintenance responsibilities and decisions about who controls the space would need to be settled locally.
The proposal also calls for expanding canopy and reintroducing bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) as part of a stormwater landscape. Bald cypress is a named strategy in the project, not a universal recommendation for every New Orleans site. Soil, inundation, available room, utilities, maintenance capacity and local ecological guidance would determine whether it is appropriate in a particular location.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
How do neighborhood nurseries and workforce training fit the plan?
Fallow Ground links neighborhood nurseries to larger productive landscapes. A nursery can help distribute planting stock, build local knowledge and create a visible civic use before a larger landscape is complete. The strategy treats propagation and distribution as part of the project’s infrastructure, not merely as a procurement step.
A workforce-training concept accompanies proposed construction and maintenance work. That pairing matters because a landscape that depends on regular watering, pruning, monitoring or repairs needs a dependable stewardship system. Training can connect installation to longer-term employment and give residents a role in deciding how a site evolves.
The entry does not specify a curriculum, wage model, contractor structure or number of jobs. Those details would have to be developed by the implementing organization with local partners. The documented idea is broader: maintenance labor, material movement and site management should be designed alongside the physical landscape.
Also popular on Amazon
- Toolwiz 17-inch magnetic sweeper maintaining a load capacity of up to 8.8 pounds provides a perfect solution to the problem of clearing small ferrous metal objects, such as nails, tacks, bolts, and metal shavings from workshops or garage floors.
- Convenient and portable：17” is good for home, small workshop, or small yard as it is space-saving and more reachable for narrow areas. Perfect for collecting nails or small parts in the car, under the table, and in other nooks or crannies.
- Upgraded Handle Design: The handle features a sturdy, non-telescopic design to completely prevent slipping during use. By simply adding or removing the extension poles, the height can be adjusted to 3 different lengths: 18.9" (48 cm), 32.5" (82.5 cm), and 42.5" (108 cm) from ground to top. This customizable height helps prevent back bending and muscle strain, making your cleaning tasks effortless
- Flexible wheels: Upgrade wheel screws to avoid being too tight to spin or too loose. More comfortable 3-inch rubber wheels roll smoothly on carpet, grass, concrete, and hardwood floors. Just push and pull this rolling magnet-sweeper to pick up metal nails easily.
- Lightweight materials: The magnetic nail sweeper's compact and lightweight design makes the sweeping can be done anywhere you want, Push or pull it under the furniture, passing through the workshop floor, driveway, mud, grass, and gravel.
Which prototype fits which vacant site?
The following comparison summarizes the project’s own design menu. It is a decision aid, not a construction specification.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems| Site condition | Prototype or strategy | Primary purpose | Scale | Key stewardship issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Localized water collection or recurring wet areas | Puddle Jumper | Hold and work with water through planted forms | Individual parcel to neighborhood network | Plant care, drainage performance and public access |
| Remnant concrete slab | Ground Breaker | Convert existing hardscape into public space | Parcel or small cluster | Condition, accessibility, heat, drainage and liability |
| Lead-contaminated or otherwise difficult bare soil | Retain or cover concrete; establish a planted thicket | Limit exposure while giving the site a managed landscape role | Parcel or contaminated area | Environmental assessment, controls and regulatory compliance |
| Many vacant parcels within a block | Shared-space strategy | Create connected civic and ecological space | Block or multi-parcel area | Ownership, agreements, access and collective maintenance |
| Areas lacking shade or stormwater vegetation | Expanded canopy and bald cypress landscape | Provide shade and ecological functions | Parcel through larger tract | Species suitability, utilities, soil and long-term care |
| Neighborhoods needing local planting capacity | Nurseries linked to productive landscapes | Grow, distribute and manage planting stock | Neighborhood to citywide network | Operations, training, supply and stewardship |
How could a city move from concept to responsible implementation?
The project is most useful when treated as a sequence of questions rather than a ready-made plan.
- Map the land and its ownership. Identify vacant parcels, slabs, infrastructure edges, water-collection areas and clusters of adjoining lots. Confirm who controls each property and whether access is possible.
- Characterize risks and constraints. Establish soil and environmental conditions, drainage patterns, utilities, structural hazards, accessibility needs and any restrictions on public use. Contaminated sites require qualified assessment before design decisions.
- Define the public purpose. Decide whether the immediate need is stormwater management, gathering space, canopy, productive planting, habitat, training or a combination. The project’s prototypes work because they connect physical form to a stated use.
- Select or combine a prototype. Use Puddle Jumper for a water-centered landscape, Ground Breaker where a sound slab can support a public role, shared-space strategies for clusters, and nursery or training components where local capacity is the priority.
- Design maintenance before construction. Assign responsibility for planting, watering, repairs, mowing or monitoring, and identify the materials and labor needed. Include a way to revise the landscape as conditions change.
- Build a small, legible intervention. The proposals are framed as adaptable prototypes, so an initial phase can demonstrate use and stewardship without committing the entire district to one fixed form. Any construction must still meet applicable codes and approvals.
- Document outcomes and adjust. Record what was built, who uses it, how water behaves, what maintenance requires and whether the intended public benefit is being delivered. This evidence is essential because the award entry itself does not provide a longitudinal evaluation.
What does Fallow Ground mean for construction and municipal practice?
The project expands the definition of construction. Instead of viewing vacant-land work as clearing and replacement, it treats existing slabs, soils, water flows, plants, labor and management as a coordinated system. Retention, planting, access and maintenance become design decisions with equal importance.
For municipal agencies, that means a vacant-property portfolio can be organized by opportunity and risk rather than by a single redevelopment timetable. For community organizations, it suggests starting with a manageable prototype that has a clear steward. For contractors and landscape professionals, it highlights the value of coordinating demolition, grading, planting, public access and maintenance planning from the beginning.
The approach also recognizes that a landscape can create value before permanent redevelopment occurs. A planted water feature, shaded route, shared court or nursery can support civic life while a neighborhood’s long-term land-use pattern remains unsettled. That interim role is not a promise that every temporary landscape will last; it is an argument for making the waiting period useful.
Recommended Free Tools
What is documented, and what remains unproven?
The ASLA entry documents the project’s authorship, 2015 award recognition, narrative, named prototypes and stated implementation goals. It does not confirm that every prototype was built, identify a complete list of constructed sites or report measured stormwater, employment, ecological or economic outcomes.
Accordingly, Fallow Ground should not be cited as evidence that a particular planting regime reduced flooding, that a nursery created a specified number of jobs or that covering concrete resolved lead exposure. Those may be questions for later project-specific evaluation. The reliable claim is that the University of Virginia team proposed a practical and adaptable way to reframe vacant land as urban infrastructure and civic space.
Also popular on Amazon
- APPLY TO MOST DRILLS : 6 pieces screw extractors work with any drill and all the screw size or bolt (3-12mm), These extractor tools are used to reverse the damaged screw counterclockwise until it is released
- The DIY Tools for Men-Men won't know they need screw extractor set until they have one! This screw extractor set is GIFTS WRAP AVAILABLE, can be gifted to your loved ones as it reflects a fresh trend with fun and practical. Amazing and Unique tool gifts for men women. The must have stocking stuffers for men, gifts for dad, husband, father, him, guy teens, adult, Boyfriend, son on Birthdays, Christmas, Fathers Day or anniversary. Perfect Holiday Gifts Guide
- HIGH QUALITY - This damaged screw remover tool kit is made from High-Speed Steel H.S.S 4341# , which have high hardness of 63hrc, it's durable and easily to remove any damaged screws.
- EASY TO USE: Just two simple steps to get the job done - drill a hole with a cutting size using the right size screw extractor and easily remove the screw or bolt using the removal tool Hardness 63-65HRC: Titanium hardened steel material, more durable than most screw extractors on the market, better hardness and durability than others, buy with confidence and complete peace of mind
- Cool Gadgets for Men Dad Christmas Birthday Gifts for Men and Women - Men won't know they need screw extractor sets until they have one! Every screw has the potential to rust and break, which can create a situation where it cannot be removed. Owning it, there will be no anxiety about rusty screws. This screw extractor set is GIFTS WRAP AVAILABLE, can be gifted to your loved ones as it reflects a fresh trend with fun and practical. Amazing and unique tool gifts for men women. A must have stocking stuffer for men on birthdays, Christmas, Father's Day or anniversaries, a gifts for dads, husbands, fathers, him, adults, boyfriends, sons. The best and most practical and surprising Christmas gifts
The awards jury, as reproduced in the official entry, said the project “breaks up the city grid and creates livable environments in what was a dense urban environment.” That statement captures the design ambition. It is an awards-jury assessment, not a measured post-construction result.
Why does this proposal still matter?
Fallow Ground remains useful because it addresses a common planning failure: treating land as either fully developed or worthless in between. New Orleans’ vacant parcels can carry water, support shade, host public activity, grow plants, provide training opportunities or preserve room for future decisions. None of those functions eliminates the need for technical review, funding or stewardship, but each offers a more productive starting point than abandonment.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The project’s strongest lesson is organizational. A successful vacant-land intervention must coordinate site science, materials, access, labor, distribution, installation and care. Its prototypes provide a vocabulary for doing that while leaving room for local adaptation. Used honestly—as design proposals rather than guaranteed outcomes—they help communities ask better questions about what a vacant site can become next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fallow Ground | Future City a completed New Orleans redevelopment project?
The award entry presents it as a landscape-architecture project and a set of design proposals. It does not provide a complete construction record or longitudinal evaluation showing that all of the prototypes were built.
Does the project give cities a certified way to make lead-contaminated lots safe?
No. Its covered-concrete and planted-thicket idea is a conceptual landscape response, not environmental-remediation guidance. Site testing, exposure controls, regulatory review and qualified professionals are still required.
Why are bald cypress trees mentioned in the proposal?
The project names bald cypress, or Taxodium distichum, as part of a stormwater landscape and canopy strategy. That reference does not establish that the species is suitable for every parcel; local soil, water, utilities and maintenance conditions must guide planting decisions.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Who is the intended implementer of these vacant-land strategies?
The authors frame the prototypes for individuals, community organizations and municipal agencies. Responsibility would depend on the parcel, permissions, funding and the local group able to provide ongoing stewardship.
