When it comes to brownfields, idleness is generally an unflinching roadblock. Contamination can be cleaned. Approachable site owners can be persuaded into redevelopment. But idle sites with passive owners are an incurable problem inhibiting full-capacity land use. One innovative strategy to combat brownfield idleness is interim use.

The concept of interim use proposes temporary, community-conscious use of brownfield properties whose redevelopment is not imminent. Ideally, these interim uses are designed to be mobile or impermanent so they can be re-located when end-use development begins. In times of economic downturn, these interim use projects present a more economically viable alternative to permanent end- use development, since interim use requires significantly less startup capital. Examples of such interim use projects on brownfield sites include mobile food stands, community gardens, farmers markets, public event spaces, and interim use parks. Case studies of interim use projects in the United States have looked at a food cart hub in Portland, Ore., an interim-use public park (Los Angeles State Historic Park) located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, and a mobile agriculture project in Chicago called City Farm. In exchange for site utilization, property owners are generally provided financial and technical assistance to conduct site assessments – a costly process that intimidates many property owners, causing them to leave their sites vacant or idle. ...

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