Redevelopment Of Brownfield Sites Research Articles

Sustainable remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites

Sustainable remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites

Characterization and Assessment of Organic Pollution at a Fumaric Acid Chemical Brownfield Site in Northwestern China

Large-scale fumaric acid chemical brownfield sites have posed a significant obstacle to environmental safety, public safety, and the redevelopment of brownfield sites. A comprehensive study was conducted to determine the main pollution indicators, soil pollution characteristics, and the multiple potential risks to the environment and the ecosystem of a fumaric acid brownfield site in northwestern China. The results showed that 1,2,3-trichloropropane(1,2,3-TCP) was the primary pollutant at the fumaric acid brownfield site. The atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in this brownfield site did not exceed the Chinese standard limits. The soil contamination was more severe within the site, with a total of about 30 VOCs detected, including the uncommon brominated pollutants. The level of longitudinal soil contamination decreased with increasing soil depth. The distillation area was more contaminated with a maximum exceedance multiple of 11,291.8. The longitudinal contamination depths in the distillation and reactor zones were 10.0 m and 4.0 m, respectively. Soil texture and production processes are considered to be one of the influencing factors for the depth of vertical soil contamination. Our findings heighten the awareness of brownfield site soil contamination and provide a reference for contamination controls and the comprehensive management of fumaric acid brownfield sites.

Spatial Identification and Redevelopment Evaluation of Brownfields in the Perspective of Urban Complex Ecosystems: A Case of Wuhu City, China.

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.

Success Factors for Urban Brownfield Developments in Johannesburg, South Africa

Redevelopment of urban brownfields sites is important as a means of limiting urban sprawl, making more efficient use of infrastructure, and preventing urban decay. Uncertainty on risks and responsibilities for remediation are often cited as reasons for these sites lying fallow; however, there is a scarcity of literature on brownfields in southern Africa. Using global literature, nine factors are identified as the main determining features of successful redevelopment. Documentary sources allow for an evaluation of three sites in Johannesburg, namely Newtown, Egoli Gas, and Modderfontien. These case studies are then compared to the global literature to determine whether the same factors apply. The main findings of this study are that a high level of contamination, uncertainty on liability for clean-up, poor market conditions at the time of redevelopment, lack of alignment of public and private sector values and uncertainty about funding contribute to a lack of success in the redevelopment of brownfield sites in Johannesburg.

Redevelopment of Brownfield Sites: Case Study-Biled Village, Romania

Brownfield redevelopment is gaining ground in Europe, and more and more Member States are searching for sustainable measures to deal with those sites in order to reduce their negative impact. Brownfields in Romania are mainly connected with the decline of industry from the communist era. Timisoara is one of the biggest cities in Romania, where the increasing demand for land for housing and industrial use encourage the urban sprawl. In this paper, we approach the problem of brownfield sites and we are trying to highlight the importance of interdisciplinary team of experts in making cities more resilient to local challenges. Initial site assessment is mandatory for further redevelopment of a brownfield site, and the surveyors have an important role. Many issues have to be taken into account, such as the site location, ownership, costs (as purchase of land, costs with demolition of existing facilities or soil decontamination) or risk and vulnerabilities. But the advantages of brownfields redevelopment are considerable and can represent gains on many fronts: on the environmental, social and economic development side. It has been considered that it is necessary to realize that land is a finite resource and it should be used in a sustainable way. A priority is to protect the unblended habitats, the good land for agriculture, and for this we must ensure that the land is used in the most efficient way.

Strategic redevelopment of brownfield sites in Tehran, Iran

A phenomenon that every city encounters nowadays is brownfield sites, which exist on different scales and in all parts of a city. These sites, which once had a proper use, are now unable to play their role due to various reasons and, in most cases, are therefore abandoned. These properties are not only unable to meet the needs and expectations of citizens and authorities, but they also reduce the vitality of the urban environment. The redevelopment of brownfield sites in order to utilise existing structures and resources has been the subject of interest for many specialists and professionals. Many studies have been conducted to identify the challenges of brownfield redevelopment from different perspectives such as the environmental sciences, urban planning and design and so on. However, a lack of design-led products is obvious due to the extent of concepts in this field of study. This paper addresses the problem of brownfield sites in Tehran, Iran, and defines the historical process that has created them. It argues for the necessity of identifying and mapping brownfields at a strategic level. In addition, the paper suggests a comprehensive categorisation of brownfield sites within Tehran based on the design dimensions of brownfield redevelopment.

Advanced Urban Geography: Urban Sustainability A Case Study: Portland, Oregon Urban Growth Boundaries (Transportation, Political, and Economic Impacts)

This research topic will provide an investigation in some areas on how urban growth boundaries have affected the city of Portland, Oregon, and its contributions to infill development in the region. The focus will be informative by defining what an urban growth boundary is, its purpose, what the implications are, and what some of the economic impacts are. Urban growth boundaries (UGBs) are organized through public policy in order to combat the issue of urban sprawl in suburban areas around densely populated cities. The idea is to allow protection of the environment surrounding a regional boundary, and help with infill development within central business districts and other locations. Infill development is the redevelopment of brownfield sites in an urban setting that allows the distribution of economic resources and population to cycle through time. Some analysis will explain the effects on property values by land use zoning caused by the urban growth boundary. Urban sustainability has been a growing issue since the latter part of the 1900s from the 50s to the present. This research project can provide one of the many alternatives in accomplishing sustainability in an urban area. It provides an analysis of the behavioral, economic, and political impact of the UGBs on the region. This is a prime example of efforts being made, while providing results to support decisions, and the theory. Since the implications are not directly related to just one entity, they can provide insight in other areas on how the UGB has reduced automobile usage, catered to the pedestrian, and enhanced the quality of life for citizens in an urban environment. Sources that may be referred to will be academic journals and articles, of which are solely based on the concept of smart growth planning, urban growth boundaries and development behavior and commuting, and land use policy. All sources will be provided by EBSCO Host, the Sustainable Urban Development Reader, and Science Direct. These will be referenced to help provide a better understanding on why UGBs are beneficial to a possible sustainable future, while explaining the positive and negative implications.

Multi-objective method for energy purpose redevelopment of brownfield sites

Redevelopment of brownfields has gained significant attention in recent years due to political, social and financial reasons. A special field of such redevelopment is, when the investor aims to reutilise the property for energy generation purposes. To make such investments feasible, extensive analysis of the conditions of the brownfield and the potential of different energy sources has to be performed. Present paper introduces a multi-objective examination and evaluation method, which provides a basis for the business analysis of an energy purpose redevelopment project. A case study is also presented to illustrate the process; the site of a gas power plant is examined, and the key findings concerning the conditions and the potential utilisation of the site are listed. The authors have prepared a recommendation to the investor, detailing the advantages and disadvantages of several different power generation technologies, and also proposing ideas for converting part of the existing infrastructure to reinterpret the operation. Technologies that might draw the interest for further examination and/or are feasible enough to perform an in-detail business analysis have been selected as well. The results of the study have confirmed that the proposed multi-objective method can be applied to arbitrary brownfield sites, while a further extension of the analysis criteria is possible if environmental aspects are also necessary to be handled.

Interaction of phenolic brownfield contaminants with hydrating Portland cement

A major concern surrounding the redevelopment of brownfield sites is the potential presence of contaminants. In certain cases, these contaminants present a threat to the durability of structures in contact with the soil. Phenolic compounds are one such group of contaminants. This paper examines the influence of phenolic compounds on Portland cement hydration, as well as their diffusion into fresh cement pastes, as would occur in concrete placed in situ against contaminated soil. The influence of phenolic compounds on cement hydration varies widely depending on structure, and exposure to combinations of phenolic compounds produces effects that do not follow easily predictable patterns. While the apparent diffusion coefficients of phenolic molecules into hydrating cement pastes largely follow trends displayed by the compounds in water, there is some evidence of interaction of the molecules with cement paste. There is also evidence of the precipitation of binding of the compounds within cement paste. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Increasing the capacity of community development corporations for brownfield redevelopment: an inside-out approach

While the redevelopment of brownfield sites has been the mainstay of public agencies and private developers, this paper argues that in order to promote just redevelopment that encourages participation and targets weak market sites, a community-based approach to brownfield redevelopment should be encouraged. Furthermore, this paper maintains that community development corporations (CDCs) could be the ideal agents to spur community development and address environmental justice concerns through their increased involvement in brownfield redevelopment projects. In order to promote these positions, we first describe this new approach, which focuses on building the capacity of CDCs to meaningfully participate in brownfield redevelopment. We then offer four proposals designed to increase this capacity. We conclude with a discussion of how community-based brownfield redevelopment connects to larger issues of democratic decision-making, environmental justice, and urban revitalisation.

Effective communication in contaminated risk management

The process of managing contaminated land projects is complex and the necessary skill set required to communicate contaminated land risk has become extensive. The communication of contaminated land risk has become more important as a result of greater pressure placed on the redevelopment of brownfield sites, easier access to basic environmental information, increased public concern about human health risk and possible harm to controlled waters, and less trust that risk is communicated fully and honestly to stakeholders. These drivers have culminated in the task of effective communication associated with contaminated land becoming more onerous but a detailed consideration of their impact on stakeholders is critical to the successful delivery of remediation projects. The necessary skills required for the effective communication of contaminated land risk are considered. These skills are appropriate for contaminated land consultants, planners, civil engineers, specialist contractors and land owners who have to communicate risk issues to a lay audience. The part IIA Manywells landfill site is provided as an appropriate case study, in which effective communication and stakeholder management has been successfully implemented.

Second wave gentrification in inner-city Sydney

There are few processes more central to the social and cultural transformation of the inner city in the past half century than gentrification. The social and economic changes that have engendered gentrification have transformed its character and meaning; it has become principally a strategy for redevelopment of brown field sites by the state and capital interests. Based on research in the formerly derelict harbour-front Sydney suburbs of Pyrmont and Ultimo, this paper shows how economic restructuring, state intervention, developers and cultural change have combined to totally transform the area. Drawing on [Wyly, E K and Hammel, D J (2001) Gentrification, Housing Policy, and the new context of Urban redevelopment, in Critical perspectives on Urban Redevelopment, 6 pp. 211–276], we have termed this second wave gentrification.

Policy Performance and Brownfield Redevelopment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin*

The redevelopment of brownfield sites has become a central focus of government efforts aimed at developing and revitalizing urban areas in the U.S. This article examines brownfield redevelopment efforts in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, which gained momentum in the mid-1990s, in order to determine how Milwaukee is performing in terms of redevelopment activities, what the effects of government support of such activities have been, and how performance outcomes are currently being measured. Through an examination of government data and interviews with key stakeholders, the Milwaukee case reveals that redevelopment is indeed progressing well as government becomes more effective at tackling the barriers to private-sector redevelopment. However, progress in redeveloping brownfields is still being measured primarily in terms of economic development outcomes rather than in terms of the broader social, economic, and environmental objectives that both policy makers and private-sector stakeholders associate with such redevelopment. *The research for this study was funded by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Consortium for Economic Opportunity, through its faculty fellowship program, for which I express my sincere gratitude. I would also like to thank the interviewees, the government officials who provided data, my project assistant Josh Lang, the anonymous reviewers, and the editor.

Monitoring the sustainability of Brownfield redevelopment projects. The Redevelopment Assessment Framework (RAF)

Redevelopment of brownfield land is regarded as an essential component of the achievement of a sustainable urban regeneration, and is thus enshrined in a number of key urban policy frameworks (DETR 2000; ODPM 2004a). Brownfield redevelopment is considered to be de facto sustainable and presented as a headline sustainability indicator (DETR 1999). However, many examples exist where redevelopment of brownfield sites has not been sustainable, as it failed to assess the environmental, social, economic and physical impacts holistically, as well as to consider the long-term impacts of brownfield redevelopment projects (BRPs) in general. It is therefore important to develop and implement a Redevelopment Assessment Framework (RAF), that addresses sustainability throughout a site's life cycle of land use. Such a framework has been developed, and is discussed here. The RAF utilises sustainability indicators, while taking into account relevant existing UK planning evaluation processes and other sources of information, thus making it applicable in practice. The RAF embodies a participatory approach which offers greater communication and understanding between relevant stakeholders, and therefore also offers educational and communications benefits. A description of the RAF, a ctitical analysis of its intended use, and a discussion of benefits and potential barriers, are provided below. © 2005 EPP Publications Ltd.

Brownfields 2003: Growing a Greener America

The 2003 Brownfields Conference, “Growing a Greener America,” which convened in Portland, Oregon, was held on October 27–29. A record 4,100 people attended. Portland was chosen to host the conference, due to its role as a national leader in growth management. Portland's unique urban growth boundary is managed by Metro, the only directly elected regional government in the country. The success of the growth boundary in leading to redevelopment of brownfield sites in Portland was highlighted in sessions and mobile workshops at the conference.

Team approaches to the development of innovative technologies and processes to facilitate remediation

AbstractThe enactment of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) created a complex liability scheme for owners, operators and prospective purchasers of contaminated properties, particularly brownfields. As the program developed, liability issues related to contiguous property, prospective purchasers, and no further action determinations became barriers to brownfield property redevelopment. The national effort on the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites took on new emphasis with the passing of the federal “Small Business Liability Protection and Brownfields Revitalization Act” in January 2002. This new law provides liability clarifications as well as funding to facilitate the cleanup of brownfield sites. President Bush stated in his 2003 State of the Union address, “In this century, the greatest environmental progress will come about not through endless lawsuits or command‐and‐control regulations, but through technology and innovation.” The subject of this article is the Interstate Technology Regulatory Commission's Brownfield team, its current initiative, goals, and areas of special focus. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Conserving biodiversity that matters: practitioners' perspectives on brownfield development and urban nature conservation in London

Policies designed to conserve sites of nature conservation importance are an important aspect of city planning in the UK. London has led the way in putting in place a spatial hierarchy of sites of nature conservation importance designed to protect wildlife habitats from development. Some wasteland habitats associated with derelict and vacant land receive protection in this way but development pressure on these so-called ‘brownfield sites’ is high and is likely to continue. This paper examines how conservation professionals in the private, public and voluntary sectors are responding to the threats of biodiversity loss and opportunities for habitat creation posed by re-development of brownfield sites. The study draws on in-depth interviews conducted with conservation professionals and the practices employed by ecological advisers employed by developers seeking to re-develop wasteland sites. It finds that practitioners are negotiating their role in the re-development process in different ways. Key issues relate to the role of ecological science in codifying wasteland habitats, uncertainties about how best to evaluate the conservation importance of such sites and the strategies and tactics employed by different practitioners as they seek to mobilise a range of knowledges and practices to secure ecologically sensitive proposals. Scientific knowledge about wasteland habitats has not stabilised in ways that can consistently inform conservation policy and practice. As a result biodiversity issues of wasteland sites are often discounted in the re-development process. Investment in studies of the basic ecology of urban wastelands could provide a firmer scientific foundation on which conservation policies could build. At the same time, many conservation professionals involved in urban re-development are struggling to promote a pro-active approach to secure environmentally sensitive development. The knowledge and co-operation networks being mobilised to support this approach are fluid and unstable, and favourable development outcomes as yet are few. Formalising these networks to achieve more effective engagements with developers and the construction industry could consolidate ecological practices designed to conserve and re-create the biodiversity of wasteland habitats.

The Definition of Brownfield

This paper discusses the need for a more robust definition of the term 'brownfield' from a multidisciplinary perspective. It examines the issues involved in constructing an agreed and accepted definition and its importance with regard to UK government policy. Current usage of the term 'brownfield' and related terminology is reviewed. The paper proposes that: a brownfield site is any land or premises which has previously been used or developed and is not currently fully in use, although it may be partially occupied or utilized. It may also be vacant, derelict or contaminated. Therefore a brownfield site is not necessarily available for immediate use without intervention. Interpretation of the terminology incorporated with the definition is presented herein. The definition is subsequently evaluated with respect to the views of different stakeholder groups involved in the redevelopment of brownfield sites.

Brownfields redevelopment issues revisited

The value of revitalising contaminated or brownfield sites has gained widespread acceptance. The efforts at remediation and eventual redevelopment of these sites involve several stakeholders, because the exercise directly impacts a number of different interests. The key issues to be resolved for the successful rejuvenation of brownfields are technical, legal, financial, future land use and community issues. Satisfactory resolution of these issues results in a happy confluence of interests working together to ensure the full exploitation of these underused assets. This paper fully discusses the issues and the attendant obstacles to redevelopment of brownfield sites, and examines some of the more successful approaches that have been employed.