Tending a vacant lot

We live near a narrow, fenced-in, overgrown lot in the heart of downtown Boston. A section of the chain link fence regularly collapses onto the sidewalk, allowing you to walk inside. Under the shrubs, you can see how the lot has absorbed bottles, takeout containers, and illegally dumped restaurant grease for years. (On a recent trip inside, I found a sun-bleached beer can with a removable pull tab.) The vacant lot poses no real threat to the neighborhood, but its lack of purpose (or perhaps subtlety of purpose) seems to invite abuse by visitors and residents alike.

Do we live in a urban place where there are only two alternatives: real estate development or utter neglect? Is there something in-between?

How does one tend a vacant lot? Continued… (read more and comment)