Institute of Urban and Regional Development

Managing the wasting of places is a major role of the urban planner and designer. Indeed, the appropriate management of waste is essential to achieving a sustainable environment. The processes of urban wasting operate throughout the metropolis and at multiple scales. Many American cities are experiencing abandonment and decay in their aging centers. At the same time, other kinds of wasting take place in the developing fringe as suburbia sprawls into greenfields. The problems and possibilities of managing urban wastelands at the city center and edge are explored.