Potential in Vacant Buildings
Many people only see vacant buildings as something that is waiting to be torn down and redeveloped. Not only will this cause a city to lose some of its culture and history but this costs a lot of money and is usually done to make profit. With minimal funding vacant buildings can become a canvas for street artists and help them to create colourful and vibrant landmarks throughout cities as was done in many cities around the world, notably Melbourne, Australia or Buenos Aires, Argentina. More funding for minimal renovations would allow these spaces to become low rent spaces for creative endeavours such as studio space for student arts communities. If the city or building owners were prepared to make more of a commitment, these spaces could be converted into social housing projects. Vacant sites in cities could be used to build sustainable, affordable housing co-operatives which could feature energy efficient designs, rooftop gardens and maximized use of shared spaces.