Through participatory strategies, the proposed book seeks to tap into community spirit to convert urban blight to sites of urban pride and in the process reduce gun violence.The past decade witnessed increased practice and scholarship focused on urban open and green spaces across the country, which are often uplifted as having a multitude of social, psychological, health, and economic benefits for residents. These spaces have often emerged from vacant lots and distressed properties that have been torn down because of the safety hazards they present. A review of the literature on vacant lot effect on health found they influence a wide-range of conditions, including attracting gun violence (Sivak, Pearson, & Hurlburt, 2021). Enhancing green spaces, such as parks and gardens, where they exist, or introducing them where they do not through conversion of lots, has taken center stage in urban communities of color as a means of addressing a range of social problems, including reducing various forms of violence (Perea et al., 2019). In instances where vacant lots are converted to green spaces, the benefits can be significant. Urban green space environments promote trust, democratic principles, and resiliency (Hoffman, 2019). This goal, as a result, is worthy of attention for urban-focused researchers, practitioners, and academics. This book seeks to accomplish six goals: (1) present a state of the art picture of vacant lot and distressed properties conversion; (2) use of case illustrations to concretize values and practice techniques; (3) identify the rewards and challenges of undertaking this form of practice on urban gun violence; (4) identify specific values and principles undergirding urban practice and vacant lots; (5) provide readers with a grounding on the major strategies for reducing urban gun violence to serve as a backdrop for vacant lot conversion; and (6) identify a series of research and practice principles that can guide gun violence reduction interventions.
Melvin Delgado, MSW, PhD, is professor of social work at Boston University. He is the former chair of Macro Practice. He has over forty years of practice, research, and scholarship focused on urban population groups, specifically within the Latinx community. Delgado's research has addressed a variety of social issues and needs, and he has published over thirty books on urban community practice topics. He is currently the editor of the Oxford University book series on social justice and youth community practice. He is the author of Sanctuary Cities, Communities, and Organizations: A Nation at a Crossroads, Urban Youth Trauma: Using Community Intervention to Overcome Gun Violence, and many other books.
Acknowledgments Section I: Context Setting Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction National Urbanization Vacant Lots as a Window into a National Urban Problem Vacant Lots as Part of the Solution? Brief Definition of Vacant Lot Urban Blight Gun Violence as a National and Urban Problem Vacant Lots and Gun Violence Brief History of Urban Greening Movement Book Goals Conclusion Chapter 2: Socio-Ecological and Community Assets-Capacity Enhancement Conceptual Foundation Introduction The Promises and Pitfalls of Place-Based Interventions Socio-Ecological and Assets/Capacity Enhancement Frames Critique of Socio-Ecological and Assets The Road of Vacant Lots towards Conversion Fire-vacant Buildings and Lots Bulldozing Urban "High Risk" Communities? Conclusion Chapter 3: Community Gun Violence and Community Trauma Introduction Challenges in Grasping Neighborhood Gun Violence & Trauma Defining Community Trauma Identifying Community Trauma Symptoms Approaches to Treating Trauma Trauma Altering Identity Addressing Urban Community Trauma Peace Garden Memorials as Place-Based Community Healing Conclusion Chapter 4: Statistics & Strategies for Addressing Gun Violence Introduction National Statistics Urban Statistics Communities of Color Statistics Urban Hot Spots or Hot People? Overview of Four Community Violence Prevention Strategies Hospital Based Violence Intervention (HPVI) Street Outreach (Cure Violence) Focused Deterrence Environmental Crime Prevention (Focus on Vacant Lots) Conclusion Section II: Multi-Faceted View of Vacant Lots Chapter 5: Vacant Lot Remediation-Context Setting Introduction Temporal Perspective Urban Vacant Lots are Universal Historical Overview Definitions and Variations Vacant Lots vs. Vacant Buildings Place and Vacant Lot Remediation Understanding the Evolution of Vacant Lots Conclusion Chapter 6: Vacant Lot Remediation-Initiatives Introduction Classification of Vacant Lot Initiatives Core Principles for Lot Conversion Initiatives Vacant Lot Conversion Continuum Urban Vacant Lots are Universal Urban Public Works and Public Spaces Conclusion Chapter 7: Potential Benefits/Detriments of Vacant Lot Conversions Introduction Potential Benefits/Detriments of Vacant Lot Conversions Economic Social Cultural Political Health Bureaucratic Challenges for Collaborating Urban Land Banks Conclusion Section III: Case Illustration Chapter 8: Case Illustration (Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, Southwest Detroit) Introduction Case Illustration Selection Process Demographics Social Context UNI History Organizational Core Values Operating Principles Organizational Community Values Strategic Approach: Translating Vision into Action Urban Youth Forestry Program The Southwest Urban Arts Mural Program Land Use and Economic Development Sponsoring Celebrations Organizational-Community Celebrations Organizational Challenges Inclusiveness and Empowerment Across the Life-Span Collaboration Within and Outside Community Conclusion Section IV: Lessons for the Field Chapter 9: Research Implications Introduction A Continuum of Assessment Methods Innovative Approaches Case Study Methods Participatory Approaches National Organizational Efforts Conclusion Chapter 10: Vacant Lots: Practice and Educational Implications Introduction Grounding Vacant Lots from a Land Rights Stance Vacant Lot Guerilla Initiatives Institutes and Workshops on Vacant Lot Remediation Challenges and Potential for Collaborations of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Local Foundations, and Other Entities Educational Innovations Career Path for Converting Vacant Lots Urban Green Space Practice Potential Ownership of Lots after Development A Special Callout to Social Workers: Gun Violence and Vacant Lots The Promise of Urban Neighborhood "Regeneration Sustainability" A Happy and Educational Journey Conclusion References Index About the Author
