Brownfield Development

Redevelopment

Anti-Displacement Measures for Brownfield Developments

A series of reports published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Smart Growth America highlights tools and policies that can help mitigate displacement pressure when recovering and developing brownfields around the United States.

May 2, 2023 - Smart Growth America

Brooklyn, New York City

What Is Redevelopment?

Redevelopment includes all development projects that build new structures and land uses on a previously developed site. Understanding the nuances of redevelopment is critical for understanding the ways cities and communities change.

July 29, 2022 - James Brasuell

Downtown Skyline

What Is Infill Development?

Billed as an alternative to urban sprawl, infill development encourages the development of underused or vacant land in existing urban areas to increase density and place new development near existing resources and infrastructure.

November 5, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

Greenfield Multi-Family

What Is Greenfield Development?

Greenfield land has remained untouched by previous development. Some definitions of greenfield land also include agricultural land. Thus, greenfield development encroaches on the natural environment to expand the built environment.

September 16, 2021 - James Brasuell

South Platte River

In Denver, a Former Brownfield Becomes a Park

After a 14-year battle to bring the project to life, the Platte Farm Open Space brings much-needed green space to a north Denver neighborhood.

April 1, 2021 - Next City

San Francisco, California

2,600 New Homes Approved in San Francisco

A massive new development at the former site of a polluting power plant is moving forward in the City by the Bay.

February 3, 2020 - Curbed San Francisco

Brisbane, CA

San Francisco Suburb to Vote on Massive Project to Double Population

Brisbane, a city of about 4,700 on the southern border of San Francisco, will vote on a controversial ballot measure in November to approve or reject a mixed-use development including up to 2,200 residential units on a 660-acre vacant brownfield.

July 24, 2018 - San Mateo Daily Journal

Developers Allege Conspiracy to Thwart Waterfront Development in New Jersey

A lawsuit claims that the town of Edgewater and its most prolific developer worked together to defeat a proposal for yet another high-rise development with views of Manhattan

December 24, 2017 - The New York Times

Mixed-use waterfront

Is Brownfield Development Health Risk Tolerance Out of Whack?

Is the bar for health risks in brownfield development set too high? Environmental attorney Richard Opper thinks so and argues the case in this opinion piece.

August 16, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Los Angeles

Housing Density a Missing Link for Emissions Reductions in California

Emissions from electricity generation are decreasing while those from transportation are increasing. If communities don't increase housing density to change travel patterns, it will only get worse, but the challenges may be insurmountable.

July 31, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Reclaimed Garden Models New Economic Development Strategy

A garden in Pittsburgh has become the model for a movement to combine environmental reclamation with economic development.

May 25, 2017 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Powersource

Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Considering Options for Derelict Lakefront Power Plant

A planning consultant hired by FirstEnergy is putting out the first speculative ideas for the future of a contaminated lakefront site of a most demolished power plant.

April 6, 2017 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Gainesville Park

Gainesville Turns Abandoned Industrial Hub Into Innovative Park

Gainesville turns contaminated land into a contemporary public greenspace to serve as the city's “Central Park."

January 17, 2017 - Modern Cities

How To Turn a Contaminated Parking Lot Into a World-Class Public Space

Tulsa's Guthrie Green proves Tulsa, Oklahoma isn't just known for parking craters any longer.

December 12, 2016 - Modern Cities

Brisbane, CA

Opposition to Bay Area Housing Exposed

A 660-acre Bay Area brownfield served by commuter and light rail is the latest battleground between suburban communities intent on preserving open space and quality of life and meeting the Bay Area's unmet housing demand.

August 11, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Should Britain Scrap its Green Belts to Build Houses?

Housing construction hasn't kept up with Britain's robust population growth. The Economist floats several ideas for spurring development: relax permissions for developing greenfields, incentivize building on brownfields, and tax the value of land.

January 11, 2014 - The Economist

Bipartisan Bill Aims to Boost Brownfield Redevelopment

This week, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2013 (BUILD Act), a bill aimed at assisting local communities in remediating and redeveloping contaminated sites.

March 8, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Chicago Neighborhoods Consider Life After Coal

Chris Bentley reports on the complex discussions centered around what to do with the sites of two massive coal plants closing this month in Chicago. As Bentley notes, "what happens to these 132 acres in Chicago could have nationwide implications."

September 26, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

England Revises Its National Planning Policy Framework

BBC News reports on recent moves to reform and simplify England's nationwide planning policy framework, which is used to guide planning at the local level.

March 28, 2012 - BBC News

From Waste Site to Walkable Village

Developers in Windsor, Connecticut are transforming a brownfield site into a $1 billion housing project, in the core of its corporate office center.

September 28, 2011 - The New York Times

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.