Increasing number of inhabitants in the cities force us to think how to use their potential effectively. At the same time, partly as consequence of world economic crisis, has increased number of vacant buildings and lots in the inner cities. One of the opportunties to solve this problem and stop the community decay is temporary use in short and meduim term periods. Originally monofunctional complexes are used for various mix of uses, for longer daytime. These charcteristics correspond with priciples of sustainabilty, promoted for example by the Resilient Cities network. This paper focuses on temporary use of vacant/abandoned CBDs and other complexes trying to reintegrate back into the city systém. On the example of Newcastle (NSW, Australia) it shows successful Renew Newcastle project, which helped to change declining central area to vibrant and socially attractive space.