Brownfield Restoration

A classic brownfield site

The benefits of redeveloping brownfield sites are well documented:

  • Increase property value and local tax base
  • Reduce the need to develop greenfields
  • Achieve cost savings by using existing infrastructure
  • Mitigate public health and safety concerns
  • Improve the downtown/community image

This field guide will start by exploring what brownfields are and how you can get started with brownfield redevelopment in your community. It will walk you through creating a brownfield inventory to contribute to regional planning and culminate with a local site assessment that could eventually lead to the redevelopment of a site your community. To get started explore the tabs below:

Sections:

Understanding Brownfields

Start with a brief overview of what exactly a brownfield is and move on to identifying them in your community

Prioritize Brownfield Options

After having a list of brownfields in your area, this next step is to prioritize some of these brownfields in a meaningful way.

Map Your Site

This step will guide your through the process of creating a shareable and printable map in Google Earth Pro.

Collect Relevant Demographics

Having local demographics is an important part of applying for grants as well as learning about who is most affected by a local brownfield.

Site Assessment

With hard data behind our analysis, now we can move on to creating an assessment for our brownfield.

MORE INFO

Common challenges faced by rural communities working with brownfields:

  • Rural geography with abundant green space, inaccessibility
  • Rural demographics – sparse population, out migration, poverty
  • Limited and inconsistent resources – capital and technical expertise
  • Inadequate infrastructure
  • Local community resources
  • Public perception, misinformation and fear

Suggestions for overcoming theses challenges:

  • Designate a Local champion
  • Include Community involvement at every step
  • Educate community leaders through local media, site visits, forums, planning sessions
  • Present best practices from nearby redevelopments
  • Take risks and be innovative, flexible and have a redevelopment vision
  • Constantly seek Grant Opportunities

Useful links:

Official Brownfields Definition from EPA
Brownfields Center at the Environmental Law Institute
Public Participation in Brownfield Redevelopment: A Framework for Community Empowerment in Zoning Practices
New York City’s Brownfield Cleanup Public Participation Plan