Environment
How Detroit's Vacant Lots Could Help Allergy Sufferers
Allowing the city to gradually reforest itself, rather than occasionally mowing weeds, could reduce pollen counts.
As whole sections of Detroit sit abandoned and untended, rampant vegetation is slowly overtaking parts of the city. But there might be at least one positive side to this encroaching urban jungle: Unlike vacant lots that are occasionally mowed, properties left to go to seed will produce less hay fever-triggering ragweed pollen.
As Hank Hill and, now, researchers from the University of Michigan attest, a regular mowing schedule is what's needed to keep a lawn healthy and clear of weeds. That's especially true for ragweed, which thrives in urban areas due to a preponderance of vacant lots. But regular weed management is obviously not possible across Detroit, where 85,000 blighted properties include more than 6,000 empty lots.