Urban Design Concept of the day

Adaptive Reuse

Adaptive Reuse is the practice of using existing infrastructure for a new purpose, such as a building redevelopment. It can be done in a way to affect an urban environment with projects like the Highline in New York or the Beltline in Atlanta. It is important in urban design as it helps to maintain continuity, allows for new uses of old infrastructure, maintains density, and keeps construction to a minimum. It is more of an architectural term than an urban design term, but it is an important thing to understand when looking at planning documents as it is a good way to improve an area with minimal damages and to give new life to aging buildings