Figure 2.

The graphic conceptualizes the social–ecological dynamics of land parcels in shrinking cities in an amenities–ecosystem services framework. Traditional land covers or land uses of parcels, such as houses and businesses, can have a high amenity value but low ecosystem-service value; it is depicted by a photograph of a street in Cleveland from the 1950s (lower right), the last decade of the heyday for many of the high-vacancy neighborhoods in Cleveland now. The abandonment and demolition of the built structures result in a loss of amenity value provided by the previous condition and can become a disamenity in the form of blight (lower left). The blighted property may provide greater ecosystem-service value, especially as vegetation cover increases; however, the property is typically not providing amenity value (upper left). Creating both high amenity value and high ecosystem-service value out of the vacant land in shrinking cities is the transformation that an ecology for the shrinking city can inform and help shape (upper right). Photographs: Three of the photos are in the public domain, with Wikimedia photographer credits of John Vachon (lower right), Fortunate4now (lower left), and Garrett O’Dwyer (upper left); the upper right photo is courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.