Abandoned buildings and land in the city: venues for urban redevelopment and regeneration

Abandoned buildings and property is a common plight that urban centers face. A field research carried out in the CBD of Lamia, a typical Greek medium-sized town, recorded 60 abandoned buildings. Of these, 18.5% were part of the designated built heritage, 27.7% were classified as high risk of collapse, 21.7% of medium risk of collapse, 38.5% with extensive signs of abandonment in their facades, 15% functionally abandoned (incomplete constructions), while 20% were recorded as dangerous to the public health. The paper suggests that apart from the negative side, under certain conditions abandoned buildings and land can serve as venues for urban development and regeneration, offering a series of opportunities to the cities for growth, competitiveness and urban innovation