RECLAIMED | The Urban Wood Project
In Baltimore, MD there are more than 46,000 vacant or assumed-vacant homes. For years, the city has been tearing them down and disposing of the materials, leaving scars on the landscape, holes in communities, and condemning premium materials to rot in city landfills.
The U.S. Forest Service, in partnership with Humanim and Room & Board - among others - are working to change this dynamic. See how a simple quest to reclaim urban wood transformed into an opportunity to reduce waste, create jobs in underserved communities, and restore landscapes by replacing vacant lots with community parks and greenspaces that benefit everyone. Urban wood reuse can be a complex process to get started, but the upside is worth the work. By diverting removed urban trees from the waste stream into higher uses, cities can enjoy the prized triple win of economic, social, and environmental benefits.
See how The Urban Wood Project and urban forests are helping us reimagine our cities for a better future. #forestproud.
Other Resources + Links
Videos | Media Coverage. Here is what others are saying about the urban wood project:
- FILM | USDA Forest Service: The Baltimore Wood Project
- FILM | Room & Board Video: Salvaging Baltimore with the USDA Forest Service
- NEWS | NBC Nightly News: New Baltimore Program aims to help communities by salvaging wood from vacant homes
- NEWS | USA Today: Baltimore is mired in crime. Could part of the solution be found in reclaimed wood?
- NEWS | Treesource: Foresters, furniture makers, city leaders create 3rd life for Baltimore's urban wood
- NEWS | Vibrant Cities Lab - Case Study: Creating Jobs with Salvaged Wood
- NEWS | Chesapeake Tree Canopy Network: Baltimore: Reclaiming wood, lives, and communities
