25. Sustainable Brownfield Regeneration

Sustainable Brownfield regeneration involves making abandoned, underused, derelict and, only occasionally contaminated, land fit for a new long-term use in order to bring long-lasting life back to the land and the community it lies within. Brownfields sites have been affected by former uses of the site or surrounding land; are derelict or underused; are mainly in fully or partly developed urban areas; may have real or perceived contamination problems; and require intervention to bring them back to beneficial use. While Brownfields do not have to be contaminated, contaminated sites are the focus of this book so it is important to point out that risk based contaminated land management is an essential prerequisite to ensuring efficient deployment of resources to deliver land that is fit for use. Vision and strong leadership are needed to build up and maintain momentum during the long time for remediation, reclamation and redevelopment and before regeneration can begin. Brownfields occur throughout the world and, while local definitions of Brownfield may vary, there is growing consensus on the opportunity they offer and great benefit on sharing experiences of and good practice in their regeneration. Specialist Brownfield regeneration process managers are needed to help deliver more successful projects. Suitable enabling policy and facilitating public sector finance usually lag behind the structural change that causes Brownfields yet must respond quickly if regions are to survive and deliver the stability and opportunity their citizens have come to expect.