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Economic development has many goals, among them increasing employment, improving access to housing and education, reducing poverty, and achieving competitive advantages in regional, national, or global markets. Brownfields support all of these goals and have the added benefit of addressing environmental health and sustainability. Below are the four main ways that Brownfields support economic development.
Reduced development pressure
Recycling Brownfields preserves Greenfields, leaving undeveloped land available for uses that Brownfields can’t satisfy.
Brownfields redevelopment takes advantage of existing infrastructure. If that infrastructure isn’t adequate, it’s usually faster and cheaper to upgrade it than to build entirely new facilities for a Greenfield site.
Redeveloping Brownfields in urban and suburban areas can also limit sprawl and support densification. This is particularly helpful in communities concerned about the financial sustainability of operating utilities and maintaining infrastructure. As communities spread out, services become more expensive to deliver and assets become more costly to repair and replace. Focusing on infill development can prevent infrastructure costs from ballooning with growth.
Economic revitalization
Adding Brownfields to a community’s portfolio of available properties can reduce pressure on Greenfields without turning away interested developers. It can also attract new private investment.
Like any development work, Brownfields redevelopment generates jobs in construction and, depending on the project, the industrial or commercial sector. But it also creates new workforce openings in environmental due diligence, remediation, and compliance. These jobs can provide life-changing employment opportunities for communities impacted by business relocation or closure. Brownfields-related job training can provide transferable skills for permanent employments in the environmental field.
Learn more about the U.S. EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program
Once redevelopment has concluded, reused properties expand the local tax base, which can create positive momentum for further development.
Community reinvestment
Vacant and blighted properties are rarely viewed as neutral. They detract from the community’s aesthetics, and they send a clear message about the lack of investment by government and private business.
Redevelopment can transform these undesirable properties into housing, businesses, parks, public facilities, and other amenities that improve quality of life for the surrounding community. They open up new avenues for participation in public life, and they spark outside interest in the community that can bring in visitor spending. Brownfields remediation can start a chain reaction that transforms entire districts.
Environmental improvement
Regardless of any redevelopment, Brownfields assessment and cleanup lead to better environmental and human health outcomes. These foundational activities can reduce potential exposure to contaminants, improve soil and groundwater conditions, and support safer long-term property use.
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About the Author
Andria Archer, LG
Director of Environmental Assessments
Andria is a professional geologist with a keen understanding and experience in regulatory requirements, permits, and compliance. Prior to joining WithersRavenel, she was a branch head in the NCDEQ Underground Storage Tank (UST) Section, where she was responsible for managing EPA regulatory grants, enforcing federal and state laws for permitting and inspection of about 31,000 UST systems, and coordinating with other state and local regulatory agencies in addition to the EPA. At WithersRavenel, she manages projects focused on USTs and other environmental assessments and leverages her in-depth understanding of compliance and regulations.