6 - Redevelopment of brownfield sites

Abstract

As cities look at ways to become more sustainable, their first step is often to wipe away marks of their unsustainable past. Remnants of over a century of industrial activity, brownfield sites provide opportunity spaces where cities can reflect on the past and reinvent a greener future. This chapter examines how brownfield redevelopment contributes to sustainability both by default and by design. It begins with a look at the scope of the problem and some of the key actions taken to manage it. This is followed by a review of some of the evidence on the contribution of brownfield redevelopment to sustainability and case studies of projects that incorporate sustainability features into their redevelopment. The chapter ends with an overview of recent books that delve into the brownfields and sustainability issue in greater detail.