This project provides a method to improve the urban environment of Indianapolis by developing vacant lots currently used for parking lots. Redesigning vacant lots as public open spaces can enrich the downtown environment both culturally and economically.This project is comprised of four sections. The first section is the introduction of the project. The second section addresses the problems caused by vacant lots in cities and the influence of public open spaces on public life and the city environment. The third section consists of developing a plan for public open spaces by redesigning selected vacant lots in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The third section will present a model of development of public open spaces for the city and will legitimize the necessity for revitalization. The last section will conclude the project.The goal of the project is to present critical aspects regarding existing vacant lots in downtown areas and to develop new types of public open space that can benefit the citizens and environment of Indianapolis, Indiana. The design new types of public open space that can benefit the citizens and environment of Indianapolis, Indiana. The design strategy will integrate reevaluation of vacant lots, creation of new types of public open space, and improvement of the city environment. / Department of Landscape Architecture

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In 1911 Dr. Robert W. Long gave a gift of real estate to the state of Indiana and stipulated that the sale of the property would fund a teaching hospital for the Indiana School of Medicine. The state senator who sponsored the hospital bill suggested placing the proposed hospital within the boundaries of Military Park, the city’s oldest park. Indiana University trustees agreed, which led to Indianapolis Mayor Samuel Lewis Shank’s angry denunciation of the proposition as “one of the greatest outrages” proposed in recent years in Indianapolis. Three interested camps formed over the location of what became known as Long Hospital: the Indiana University trustees, who approved of placing the hospital in the park because of its proximity to downtown Indianapolis; lineage societies and veterans, who touted the park’s historical significance as a nationalistic message to all residents; and the state and city governments and local civic organizations, who promoted the health benefits of public parks and playgrounds. Through open debate, particularly in Indianapolis’ newspapers, each position supported Progressive era reform attitudes towards the use of civic space in terms of its relationships to public health, social morality, and nationalistic values.