Research Results
Economic Impacts of Brownfields Cleanups
Joshua Linn, Fellow at Resources for the Future, has published a discussion paper estimating the effect of brownfields sites receiving a "No Further Remediation" letter from a state environmental agency, as part of its voluntary site remediation program, on nearby property values.
Life-Cycle Analysis of a Sustainably Redeveloped Brownfield Site
Thomas Brecheisen, doctoral candidate, and Dr. Thomas Theis conducted a life-cycle analysis of a sustainably redeveloped brownfield, the Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT). It analyzes the material and energy flows of different stages and aspects of the redevelopment. This life-cycle analysis is a counterpart to Dr. Christopher De Sousa's best practices case study of CCGT in the section below.
Sustainable Redevelopment of Brownfields Case Studies
Professor Christopher De Sousa is studying brownfield sites that have been or are being redeveloped in a sustainable way. The resulting case studies focus on projects that are recipients of funding under U.S. EPA's Brownfields Sustainability Pilots program (many of which are in the process of being redeveloped) and on a number of innovative, successful, completed projects around the country referred to as "Best Management Practice" sites. The case studies aim to identify best practices for sustainable redevelopment of brownfields, including the underlying policies and practices that enabled these redevelopments to be undertaken and/or completed.
Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley: A Sustainable Re-Industrialization Best Practice (posted January 2012)
As part of this project, Dr. De Sousa also wrote a book chapter about the Menomonee Valley redevelopment, entitled "Creating the green industrial district: Transforming Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley from a blighted brownfield into a sustainable place to work and play.” It is included in the book Sustainability in America's Cities: Creating the Green Metropolis, M. Slavin, Editor, published by Island Press, 2011.
Moran Center, Burlington, Vermont: A U.S. EPA Brownfields Sustainability Pilot (posted January 2012)
Tabor Commons to Café Au Play, Portland, Oregon: A U.S. EPA Brownfields Sustainability Pilot (posted February 2012)
June Key Delta Community Center, Portland, Oregon: A U.S. EPA Brownfields Sustainability Pilot (posted January 2012)
Holmes Road Landfill (Houston Solar Project), Houston, Texas: A U.S. EPA Brownfields Sustainability Pilot (posted May 2012)
Anvil Mountain, Silverton, Colorado: A U.S. EPA Brownfields Sustainability Pilot (posted June 2012)
Langdale and Riverdale Mills Redevelopment, Valley, Alabama: A U.S. EPA Brownfields Sustainability Pilot (posted July 2012)
Brownfields Sustainability Pilots Data Matrices and Benchmarks
Also as part of the Brownfields Sustainability Pilots case studies, Dr. De Sousa developed data matrices of pre-development data for each site. These are intended to present an informal pre-development snapshot of conventional and sustainability-oriented information for each of the pilots and their surrounding neighborhoods. He also developed a list of recommended benchmarks for pilot recipients to collect. This information should help the projects with tracking sustainability progress on a range of indicators.
Allen-Morrison, Lynchburg, VA: Data Matrix
Anvil Mountain Neighborhood, Silverton, CO: Data Matrix
Commercial Street, Springfield, MO: Data Matrix
Focus: Hope, Detroit, MI: Data Matrix
Greenville Workforce Housing Project, Greenville, SC: Data Matrix
Haynes Recreational Center, Laredo, TX: Data Matrix
Houston Solar Project, Houston, TX: Data Matrix
Jackson Square, Boston, MA: Data Matrix
June Key Delta Community Center, Portland, OR: Data Matrix
Langdale Mills, Valley, AL: Data Matrix
Moran Center, Burlington, VT: Data Matrix
Samoa Peninsula, Humboldt County, CA: Data Matrix