Brownfield Development and Housing Supply

Abstract

The redevelopment of brownfield land, although often prone to risk and uncertainty, can contribute to increased housing supply. Concepts and understandings of brownfield (and contaminated) land vary internationally, but in many countries there are now legislation and a range of incentives in place to help the residential development industry engage with such sites and redevelop them. This trend must be seen in the context of the interweaving of planning and sustainable development policies, particularly in England, where brownfield regeneration to develop new housing is a key policy target. Other countries have also shown how residential developments can be successfully located on brownfield land, often when a contamination problem is also present.