[vimeo http://vimeo.com/33698254]From Arch Daily writer Irina Vinnitskaya: "Vacant land is a looming problem for many cities, especially when it remains undeveloped for years or is transformed into garbage dumps and parking lots. But when designers begin to notice these voids within the activity of a city they are able to unlock the inherent potential in the land. "That is precisely what 'Not a Vacant Lot', as part of DesignPhiladephia, did this October. Philadelphia’s 40,000 vacant lots are both a challenge and an opportunity for young designers, artists and architects to transform these under-utilized spaces into experiences within the fabric of the urban environment. In order to re-engage such a space there needs to be a draw – it needs to become a physical destination or a visually stimulating product that adds to the life of the city. DesignPhiladelphia gave artists the opportunity to acknowledge these vacant spaces and reintroduce them into the urban fabric.
"The focal point of the design intervention was at the University of the Arts lot, just a few blocks from Philadelphia’s center. It featured a reinterpreted map of Philadelphia by PennDesign students and Marianne Bernstein’s Play House, an 8′x8′ aluminum cube which, in its simplicity, could unlock the potential of this particular lot." Full article here, with additional video.