Above: Matt Langan’s initial vision for an Urban Arboretum in Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of Langan.

Empty lots are a common sight in the City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia is dotted with vacant land in just about every corner, and this surplus of space could serve any number of purposes. Urban Arboreta has an unequivocal approach to the issue of urban land: trees. 

A project of the City Parks Association and winner of a Knight Cities grant, Urban Arboreta will place an emphasis on self-sustaining, environmentally sound business models for the nursery production of trees, while also providing open, public space where residents can relax and learn. Initially conceived in 2005, Urban Arboreta is much like Philadelphia’s attitude towards vacancy–it has come a long way. By viewing these so-called ‘urban voids’ as opportunities instead of blight, design studios–led by project leaders Tim Baird, Matt Langan and Deenah Loeb–continued to evolve and expand the initial concept. In 2015, Urban Arboreta was selected as one of the 32 winners of the Knight Cities Challenge, solidifying its mission to change the Philly landscape. Changing the face of cities by focusing on unutilized land is nothing new to planners and developers. What is new, however, is the approach taken by the City Parks Association for Urban Arboreta. While the project will literally “transform ground” as is its stated goal, it also has a strong community focus. By offering accessible programs, educational opportunities and job skills training in the nursery trade, this operation can be self-sustaining while also benefiting the ecological and human conditions that surround it.

By setting the bar as a new green space model, Urban Arboreta will begin transforming cities from the ground up. Trees from the revamped locations will fuel an increase in tree-planting campaigns that add to the urban canopy, as well as buffers for waterways. Not only will these areas create green spaces, jobs and learning opportunities, but also cleaner air and water, heat-island reduction and carbon sequestration. What’s good for the planet is good for us, and Urban Arboreta plans to make it all a reality–one tree at a time.

Knight Foundation recently named 158 finalists in the second Knight Cities Challenge. Winners will be announced in spring 2016.