As cities evolve and resources shift with time, spaces within those cities are often left fallow and abandoned. This talk posits a fundamental role for spatial design practice in transforming abandoned urban landscapes over time. It argues for approaches that promote the specific affordances of the land itself (hydrology, vegetation, topography, geology, infrastructural capacity, occupation potential); the importance of cyclical and reciprocal change; and the particularities of the cultural, political, and physical context. Through the lens of specific cities and sites, it is possible to consider what a landscape-driven design approach can bring to cities under attack, how design practice can be more inclusive in a context of economic, social, and political failure, how abandoned landscapes can support well-being, and how we can transcend barriers collectively.