There’s a lot of unused space between buildings. I noticed this while on a walk this morning. And I feel like there should be a way to put it all to use.

They’re often found downtown or in commercial areas, strips of land separating apartments or businesses, but fenced inside the property of one or the other.

Often too small to be an alley and too inconvenient for a walkway, it’s usually a place for the wind to deposit plastic bags and other garbage. Tall weeds and other wild plants grow from the cracks and dirt piles, a clear sign that nobody ever goes there. If they do, they don’t care about their appearance.

Yet these spaces are in clear public view. Seeing an unkept part of someone’s property doesn’t bother me, but I feel these spaces could be put to better use. Perhaps a small garden in those areas that get enough sun. Commercial buildings could hire local street artists to paint murals, brightening up the space and giving owners a reason to keep them clean.

Clearly, there are more pressing issues in the world, though this seems like such an easy one to tackle. Minimal cost, minimal effort, drastic change.