By: J. David Chapman, PhD, / November 6, 2026
Eight years ago, I had a vacant lot in downtown Edmond. Someday, I knew it would be developed into something substantial. But someday wasn't today. The economics weren't right, the timing wasn't right, and frankly, the market wasn't ready. So, we did something a little unconventional.
We placed a small 1950s travel trailer on the property, named Katiebugs, and they sold hot chocolate in the winter and shaved ice in the summer. It wasn't a multimillion-dollar development. It wasn't even a permanent building. But it was something perhaps just as important. It was a place.
People stopped. Families gathered. Children begged their parents for shaved ice. A vacant lot became a destination, and a little piece of downtown Edmond developed an identity. Today, a multimillion-dollar project is being constructed on that property. The trailer served its purpose, and the land is moving into its next chapter.
Urban planners have a name for this concept: "Meanwhile Use." The idea is simple. Rather than allowing vacant land or buildings to sit idle while waiting for redevelopment, put them to work temporarily. Create something useful, interesting, and engaging while the permanent plans take shape.
Recently, I came across an interesting discussion being organized in London by Jan Kattein Architects and Meanwhile Space. Their work explores how temporary uses can create lasting social and economic value.
One of their projects, Blue House Yard in London, was originally intended to last just five years. Nearly a decade later, it has become an interesting case study in how temporary spaces can influence a neighborhood long after their intended expiration date.
That raises a fascinating question: What happens to the value created by something temporary? Traditional real estate analysis focuses on rents, operating income, capitalization rates, and appreciation. But what about the value of bringing people together? Introducing customers to a neighborhood? Testing a business concept? Establishing a sense of place?
Those benefits don't always appear on a spreadsheet, but they are real. In subURBAN!, I discuss the importance of placemaking and third places - those gathering spots outside our homes and workplaces where communities develop relationships.
Meanwhile uses can create those places without requiring millions of dollars or decades of planning. Think food trucks, pop-up markets, outdoor seating, art installations, temporary parks, and vacant storefronts filled with aspiring entrepreneurs.
Not every experiment will succeed. That's part of the beauty. Temporary uses allow communities and developers to learn what works before making permanent investments. Katiebugs didn't become the ultimate use of that downtown Edmond property. It wasn't supposed to. But for a few years, it gave people a reason to visit, linger, and enjoy downtown.
Sometimes we become so focused on what a property will become that we overlook what it could be today. Perhaps the most valuable thing about a temporary place is what it leaves behind.
Dr. J. David Chapman is Chair of Finance & Professor of Real Estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).