The contested nature of vacant land in Philadelphia and approaches for resolving competing objectives for redevelopment

•Study provides a framework for managing competing objectives for vacant land reuse in Philadelphia.•GIS-based multi-criteria evaluations and multi-objective land allocation models are used.•Results show areas most suitable for residential, commercial, or green space objectives.•Approach provides decision-support tool for planners at multiple scales.

The redevelopment of vacant land is a contested issue in most urban places. Municipal governments advocate for the conversion of underutilized lots into tax-revenue generating developments, while residents may prefer additional green space or parks. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for managing these competing objectives through an analysis of vacant land redevelopment alternatives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This study employs a GIS-based multi-objective land allocation (MOLA) methodology at two scales – citywide and neighborhood level – to balance three competing objectives: green space, commercial, and residential. The results of the multi-objective land allocation (MOLA) model identify the most suitable reuses of vacant land across Philadelphia. Further, this study provides a policy-oriented framework and methodology for balancing competing objectives in vacant land planning that could be readily applied in different contexts.