Figure 1.

Vacant parcels in of Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland has in excess of 20,000 vacant lots that occupy more than 14 square kilometers (Gardiner et al. 2013), approximately 7% of all the land in Cleveland. The inset is a portion of the Slavic Village neighborhood, in which ecosystem services are seen as a major component of shaping the neighborhood’s future. Vacant lots have been converted to rain gardens to provide multiple ecosystem services, including managing stormwater to reduce sewer overflows, provide wildlife habitat for beneficial insects, and improve aesthetic quality along the paved trail that facilitates recreation and transit alternatives to the personal motor vehicle.