The complexity of processes and constraints associated with redevelopment of brownfield lands calls for provision of relevant, adequate, sufficient, up-to-date, and easily accessible information on ...brownfield lands to enable developers make an informed decision when navigating the hurdles of brownfield redevelopment. Furthermore, the various obstacles and barriers that developers encounter during decision making for brownfield redevelopment has continued to contribute to the limited uptake of brownfield lands in England by developers for redevelopment and regeneration. This study was conducted to explore the factors that developers consider when redeveloping brownfield lands and to present a decision criterion that will support brownfield site selection and subsequent regeneration. A mixed methodology using qualitative and quantitative approaches was adopted to investigate the factors, criteria, and information that developers consider when making decisions for brownfield redevelopment. Data collection was carried out using a literature review and interviews with brownfield experts. Using a purposeful sampling approach, a total of 11 brownfield stakeholders, which cut across key experts involved in brownfield redevelopment within the Black Country region of England, was interviewed. Each expert interviewed holds a stakeholder critical role in regulatory organisations and construction industry organisations, including local authorities, geo-environmental organisations, land remediators and consultants, housing developers, etc. A comparative analysis of evidence obtained from developer interview responses, the literature review, and the brownfield register showed that 57% of factors, criteria, and information such as cost/capital expenses, funding, contamination level, infrastructure, water risk, neighbours, connectivity (digital, energy networks/grid), and access and transport, which developers require for decision making relating to redevelopment of brownfield sites, are not available on a standard local authority’s brownfield land register. To address the identified information gaps, this study developed “The BRIC Index”, a decision-making tool that incorporates a GIS-based system to facilitate screening of brownfield sites based on specified criteria and to help identify risks, contamination, and remediation costs of brownfield development. The effectiveness of the BRIC Index was validated through successful usage for site selection by various SMEs in the Black Country.
The regeneration of brownfields has been increasingly recognized as a key instrument in sustainable land management, since free developable land (or so called “greenfields”) has become a scare and ...more expensive resource, especially in densely populated areas. However, the complexity of these sites requires considerable efforts to successfully complete their revitalization projects, thus requiring the development and application of appropriate tools to support decision makers in the selection of promising sites where efficiently allocate the limited financial resources. The design of effective prioritization tools is a complex process, which requires the analysis and consideration of critical points of attention (PoAs) which has been identified considering the state of the art in literature, and lessons learned from previous developments of regional brownfield (BF) prioritization processes, frameworks and tools. Accordingly, we identified 5 PoAs, namely 1) Assessing end user needs and orientation discussions, 2) Availability and quality of the data needed for the BF prioritization tool, 3) Communication and stakeholder engagement 4) Drivers of regeneration success, and 5) Financing and application costs. To deepen and collate the most recent knowledge on the topics from scientists and practitioners, we organized a focus group discussion within a special session at the AquaConSoil (ACS) conference 2017, where participants were asked to add their experience and thoughts to the discussion in order to identify the most significant and urgent points of attention in BF prioritization tool design. The result of this assessment is a comprehensive table (Table 2), which can support problem owners, investors, service providers, regulators, public and private land managers, decision makers etc. in the identification of the main aspects (sub-topics) to be considered and their relative influences and in the comprehension of the general patterns and challenges to be faced when dealing with the development of BF prioritization tools.
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•Identification of points of attention (PoA) in designing BF prioritization tools•Expert-based focus group approach to collate the most recent knowledge on PoA•Development of a matrix highlighting the impact and influence of one PoA on another•Patterns & challenges to be faced during the development of BF prioritization tools
•Proximity to brownfields is associated with increased adult serum Pb and Hg.•Proximity to highways and traffic is associated with increased adult serum Pb and Mn.•Brownfields, highways, and traffic ...are not associated with adult serum Cu.
Research in environmental sciences has demonstrated that land in close proximity to brownfields and heavily trafficked highways is contaminated with toxic metals. Despite this, little is known about the influence of brownfields and highways on metal levels in residents living nearby. We used data from 774 participants in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study to estimate the effect of residential proximity to brownfields, highways, and present-day traffic on serum levels of lead, mercury, manganese, and copper using generalized estimating equations. We found that a 1 standard deviation increase in residential brownfield density within 200m was associated with increased serum lead levels (β: 0.04, 95% CI: −0.01, 0.09). The same modeled increase in a subset of historic industrial-use brownfields was associated with elevated serum mercury (β: 0.06, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.09). Increased highway and traffic density was positively associated with serum manganese (β: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.04). Highway and traffic density was also positively associated with serum lead (β: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.03) after restricting the analysis to participants who did not move during the study follow-up period. These findings draw attention to the importance of remediating polluted post-industrial sites in heavily populated areas, particularly as residents continue to move into densely populated cities around the globe.
With a multitude of contaminated brownfields awaiting redevelopment, gaining insight into residents' perceptions of these sites is paramount. This study addresses this gap by investigating factors ...underlying dissatisfaction with contaminated brownfield redevelopment in France. To this purpose, we conducted in 2015 a survey among 803 French individuals living in municipalities impacted by at least one contaminated brownfield site. We collected data on the following topics: risk perceptions and risk experience regarding soil contamination, preferences regarding brownfield redevelopment projects and socio-demographic characteristics. Nearly 80 % of the surveyed individual's express dissatisfaction with contaminated brownfield redevelopment policies in France. Using logistic regressions, we explain dissatisfaction regarding contaminated brownfield redevelopment. Our results show the regions of residence considering the number of contaminated brownfield sites is significantly and positively correlated with individuals' dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction is also correlated with risk perception of soil contamination, brownfield, and awareness of brownfield site in the nearby environment of living. Individuals perceive the risk of soil pollution in their municipality as high (scoring 7). This level of concern is positively correlated with the dissatisfaction expressed towards brownfield redevelopment policies. Individuals who tend to mistrust State government are not willing to be involved in brownfield redevelopment projects and to use remediated facilities on formerly contaminated brownfields. This raises issues regarding ways to reduce the stigma effect related to contaminated brownfield.
•Logistic regression on 803 French individuals reveals brownfield dissatisfaction factors.•Individuals living in former industrial regions express more dissatisfaction.•Limited knowledge on soil contamination exacerbates dissatisfaction.•Growing dissatisfaction with contaminated brownfields fuels mistrust in government.•Dissatisfied individuals are not willing to use remediated facilities.
•Brownfield stakeholders’ perceptions, concerns, attitudes, information needs.•Identification of the most important information needs for groups of stakeholders.•Categorisation system for the ...collection of information on brownfield regeneration.•Participatory methodology applied to brownfield stakeholders from five EU countries.•Integration of environmental science approaches with social science methods.
Brownfield areas are a major concern in Europe because they are often extensive, persistent in time and compromise stakeholders’ interests. Moreover, due to their complex nature, from the decision-making point of view, the regeneration of brownfields is a challenging problem requiring the involvement of the whole range of stakeholders. Many studies, projects and organisations have recognised the importance of stakeholder involvement and have promoted public participation. However, comprehensive studies providing an overview of stakeholders’ perceptions, concerns, attitudes and information needs when dealing with brownfield regeneration are still missing.
This paper presents and discusses a participatory methodology applied to stakeholders from five European countries to fill this research gap, to develop a system to support the categorisation of the needed information and to support the understanding of which typology of information is the most relevant for specific categories of stakeholders also in relation with their concerns.
The engagement process consists of five phases: (i) planning and preparatory work, (ii) identification of stakeholder categories, (iii) engagement activities (e.g. focus groups and workshops), (iv) submission of a questionnaire and (v) provision of feedback to the involved stakeholders.
Thanks to this process, appropriate stakeholders have been identified as well as their perceptions, concerns, attitudes and information needs. Stakeholders’ perceptions proved to be different according to the country: German and Italian stakeholders perceive brownfields as complex systems, where several issues need to be addressed, while Romanian stakeholders consider contamination as almost the only issue to be addressed; Czech and Polish stakeholders address an intermediate number of issues. Attitudes and concerns seemed to be quite similar between countries. As far as information needs are concerned, similarities between some groups of stakeholders have been noticed: site owners and problem holders are primarily interested in information on planning and financing, while authorities and services providers are interested in more technical aspects like investigation, planning and risk assessment. Some outstanding outcomes emerged from the scientific community and research group, which showed an interest for remediation strategies and options and socio-economic aspects.
The research outcomes allowed to create a knowledge base for the future development of tailored and customised approaches and tools for stakeholders working in the brownfield regeneration field.
Rapid industrialization and urbanization in China have led to a rapid increase in the number of brownfields, however there is a lack of identification of the spatial extent of brownfields in cities ...and accurate assessment of brownfield redevelopment. Based on the relationship between brownfields and urban complex ecosystems, this paper defines brownfields in China and constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system including socio-economic and ecological subsystems. Using Wuhu City as empirical evidence, 19 brownfields were identified using remote sensing data and field surveys. Based on the detection of soil contaminants in brownfields, a fuzzy integrated evaluation method was used to suggest their redevelopment direction. It is found that the government's planned land use types and the brownfield redevelopment evaluation results match to a large extent, but social, economic and ecological environmental factors should be more fully considered. At the same time, the identification and redevelopment of brownfield sites in the city as a whole need to be carried out by the government's professional forces in order to obtain more effective and scientific conclusions.
This open access book is focused on the intersection between urban brownfields and the sustainability transitions of metreopolitan areas, cities and neighbourhoods. It provides both a theoretical and ...practical approach to the topic, offering a thorough introduction to urban brownfields and regeneration projects as well as an operational monitoring tool. Neighbourhoods in Transition begins with an overview of historic urban development and strategic areas in the hearts of towns to be developed. It then defines several key issues related to the topic, including urban brownfields, regeneration projects, and sustainability issues related to neighbourhood development. The second part of this book is focused on support tools, explaining the challenges faced, the steps involved in a regeneration process, and offering an operational monitoring tool. It applies the unique tool to case studies in three selected neighbourhoods and the outcomes of one case study are also presented and discussed, highlighting its benefits. The audience for this book will be both professional and academic. It will support researchers as an up-to-date reference book on urban brownfield regeneration projects, and also the work of architects, urban designers, urban planners and engineers involved in sustainability transitions of the built environment.
Railway transportation faces many of the issues that are related to standard brownfields - due to changing technologies and industries, more effective systems (of traffic control in this case) and ...evolving needs many of the areas are actually no longer necessary for proper function of the railway. That is especially prominent in the case of railway stations, where a significant number of the stations use just a portion of their available tracks, buildings and areas (for example for unloading or repair). The remaining areas are sometimes sporadically used, but more effective and conscious management of the station could fairly easily lead up to the release of these areas for another, more useful function for both the city and the station. This paper will explore the differences between “standard” brownfields and unused railway areas like the typical ownership structure, particular location within the city and the effect station has on the city structure, composition and topography of the areas or the fact that railway areas are most often never really fully abandoned and they do continue to serve in some, albeit diminished capacity. Paper also aims to map out how much of the railways areas are underused or unused in Czech Republic (country with highest rail network density in the world). This paper will then recommend the best ways to use and revitalize them and it will show some successful examples of revitalization projects from all around the world.
Utilizing culture as a tool for the regeneration of industrial brownfields represents a fairly new trend in post-socialist Europe. This topic has garnered some academic attention; however, studies ...primarily originate from EU member states, whereas the examples from non-EU cities remains largely unexplored. In addition, the literature dealing with the temporary creative use of derelict industrial sites in post-socialist cities is scarce. The case study-based paper contributes to filling these voids by investigating the creativity-driven informal activation of the Kineska Quarter in Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia and the European Capital of Culture for 2022, and its planned transformation into a creative district. The research aims are to examine the capacity of temporary uses to act as a hard infrastructure of the culture-led regeneration, identify the policy framework that shaped the project and highlight its shortcomings, detect potential sustainability issues, and examine how soft factors affect the use of hard infrastructure. The findings suggest that the redevelopment of a creative brownfield based on the simulation of bottom-up decision-making and hastily developed and blurry regeneration policies lead to uncertainty about its sustainability. They also suggest that post-socialist cities lacking experience in this field necessitate a context-perceptive, socially responsible, and locale-conscious approach to the (then sustainable) culture-led regeneration of spontaneously activated brownfields sites, which requires meaningful and not just pro forma involvement of non-institutional actors in the policy- and decision-making process.
Rapid urbanisation in China has resulted in an increased demand for land in towns and cities. To upgrade and modernise, China has also moved many major industries from urban centres to less populated ...areas. With the high economic value of urban land, the transformation and utilisation of brownfield areas have become important economically and socially. The Chinese government has recognised the need for strong frameworks to safeguard soil and groundwater quality, with brownfield sites a key category for management. Strong scientific, regulatory and decision-making frameworks are needed and being adopted to ensure practical, careful and wise use of central and localised government resources, to manage the reuse and regeneration of these brownfield sites. This paper reviews the context, policies and management procedures of developing brownfield sites in countries with a history of brownfield management and discusses China’s current situation and priorities for brownfield governance and redevelopment. These include (1) clarification of brownfield site soil contamination risk control standards and risk assessment procedures, (2) the responsibilities of different national and local agencies and (3) the establishment of a national expert committee to advise on best practices, policy and process, (4) the use of registered brownfield databases at national, provincial, municipal and county levels, and (5) the set up of soil pollution prevention fund at the provincial level.
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•China is setting strong frameworks to safeguard soil and groundwater quality.•Brownfield soil quality standards and risk assessment procedures are needed.•Responsibilities of national and local level agencies are being prioritised.•Brownfield databases at national, provincial, municipal and county levels need setting.
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