Brownfields Redevelopment Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Abstract: This paper presents an argument for considering issues of class in analyses of communicative planning projects. In these projects, class interests tend to be obscured by the contemporary preoccupation with the class-ambiguous category of “community”. Through a case study of a project of urban redevelopment at King's Cross in London, we conceptualize and map class interests in an urban redevelopment project. Three aspects of the planning process that contain clear class effects are looked at: the amount of office space, the flexibility of plans, and the appropriation of the urban environment as exchange or use value. These aspects structure the urban redevelopment but are external to the communicative planning process. The opposition to the redevelopment has in the planning discourse been articulated as “community”-based rather than in class-sensitive terms. We finally present three strategies for reinserting issues of class into planning theory and practice.

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- Geography, Human Geography, Urban Geography, Economic Geography
- by Michaela Pixová
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- Social Exclusion, Brownfields Redevelopment, Disinvestment, Barracks

Among prevalent methods of disposal for municipal solid waste, landfilling is the most common one. A landfill requires a piece of land and receive a huge amount of wastes for a certain period of time. Many landfills all around the world are located into or nearby urban areas where the land is scarce and highly demanded. Therefore, an important question arises on how to re-use this piece of threatening land. The aim of this study is to highlight the benefits of landscape work with the roles of landscape architects or equivalent disciplines to succeed a sustainable development of a landfill site not only after the landfill being closed but also from the beginning of it. To achieve this, a comprehensive investigation has been done among related literature to address these issues and prove that landscape work is one of the key factors that can lead a landfill project to a more successful and beneficial one which eventually makes the project sustainable. The findings of the study are use...

This paper deals with the brownfields in the city that can have a serious impact on the direction of strategic planning for future urban development. The comparative analysis of case studies was conducted to compare industrial cities in the developed western countries (Gothenburg) to the cities in transition countries (Niš). Brownfields are discussed as specific spaces which represent, on the one hand, an exceptional spatial resource capital, and, problematic areas, "black spots" of the city, on the other, with all the burdens that brownfields can have. Considering the prevalence and distribution, strategic planning, as an instrument for the formation of the vision of development, must inevitably examine and define the role of brownfields. The aim of this paper is to present the possibilities and possible models for brownfield renewal through the prism of strategic planning in the context of creating a sustainable vision of the cities where brownfields could play a key role in regulating and correcting the existing urban pattern.

Executive Summary of the Brownfield Research Report

- by Chan Kim Ching
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- Urban Planning, Brownfields Redevelopment, Land-use planning, Hong Kong

Landfills are the common method of waste disposal. A closed landfill site can be an eyesore land and cause environmental hazardous impacts on surrounding areas. A sustainable solution for redevelopment of a closed landfill site, returns the land to an attractive and beneficial after-use. This study aim to identify potential sustainable solutions and factors in the redevelopment of closed landfill sites. The paper critically reviews the literature regarding vital understanding of the redevelopment process. The study also analyzed the successful landfill redevelopment projects in a wide range of time and locations to suggest the best end-use option. Additionally, the study offers an approach for integrating the social, economic and environmental benefits through the sustainable redevelopment solution contributing to the universal sustainable development and green built environment.

Background: Environmental sustainability-focused service-learning programs can aid communities in addressing environmental problems and provide students with hands-on training. Understanding the implementation of such programs can inform research and application. Purpose: We investigate the implementation of an environmental sustainability-focused service-learning program (E-Corps) at a large New England public university. Our inquiry sought to better understand epistemic communities by addressing the research question: What conditions, including contextual factors and resources (i.e., funding, university context) and people (i.e., faculty, their orientation to teaching, how they work together), supported the establishment of an epistemic community in the implementation of E-Corps? Methodology/Approach: We employ frameworks of 1) Design Based Implementation Research (DBIR), which considers problems from multiple stakeholders' perspectives, collaborative design, pedagogical theory and knowledge, and capacity for sustaining change, and 2) epistemic communities-the stakeholders recursively generating, using, and refining pedagogical knowledge. We thematically analyzed interviews with students (n=7), two rounds of interviews with faculty (n=7), and participant observations of four E-Corps team meetings (n=13). Findings/Conclusions: Findings show that epistemic community within E-Corps' implementation was supported by 1) an existing context of resources within the university, and 2) a robust university-partnership prioritizing community benefits with aligned instructor approaches. Our work informs both research on DBIR and epistemic communities as well as the practical implementation of university-community environmental partnerships.

- by Rebecca A Campbell-Montalvo and +1
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- Sociology of Education, Environmental Education, Climate Change, Science Education

The paper compares methods and results concerning the two most recent inventories of brownfield sites in Slovenia: while the MOP inventory focuses more on spatial planning issues, the MGRT inventory concentrates more on economic issues. Therefore, the two methodologies used cannot be properly combined and a new methodology for brownfields inventory is only able to adopt certain elements of each.

- by Lučka Ažman Momirski
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- Urban Planning, Urban Regeneration, Brownfields Redevelopment, Inventory

The topic of land recycling is a permanent issue in Saxony-Anhalt – in Germany – in Europe. The remediation and revitalisation of brownfield sites and vacant commercial buildings is highly interesting both from an urban development and from an environmental point of view. Brownfield development can help to reduce land take and to strengthen the central areas of our cities and municipalities. Each specialist discipline views such projects from its own perspective – from the remediation of contaminated sites, via real estate development, to urban and environmental planning. For a successful and efficient project implementation, a good cooperation of the different experts and authorities is of great importance. In the Interreg project “GreenerSites” such cooperations are sought and promoted in order to jointly develop a comprehensive perspective: land recycling as a component of resource-saving urban development. Among other things, the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Regional Development and Transport is responsible for the development of a site information system for online collaboration between public institutions. This webGIS tool is presented in the article. Moreover, the paper deals with fundamental questions of land take, land recycling as well as GIS-based methods of brownfield management.

- by Philipp Zakrzewski
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- Urban Regeneration, Urban Studies, Brownfields Redevelopment, Web GIS

Nowadays, in historical cities, many of the urban spaces due to the changes arising from modern urban development and the lack of attention to different spatial qualities have lost their identities and also the importance of their past resulting from the city’s history and its culture. In this study, the purpose is to restore the urban life and the identity, associated with the historical past of the Southern Lalezar street in Tehran; in this regard, by adopting the urban regeneration and vitality approaches, is tried to create a suitable human-oriented context in relation to missing background. According to the theoretical reviews and the empirical investigations, this paper tries to restore the value and meaning of the Southern Lalezar street and its public spaces, with emphasis on some appropriate principles, like pedestrian-orientation, internal and infill development, using brownfields and the injection of the artistic and cultural activities. Finally, by extracting some principles and different methods from the urban regeneration and vitality approaches and also analyzing the case study, have been attempted to revive the old but valuable urban structure and emphasize the redevelopment of historical identities of the Southern Lalezar street.

A relatively little discussed element of archaeological practice is the experience of working on so-called contaminated sites. I include in this definition sites that are suffused with heavy metals, hazardous substances such as asbestos, radioactive materials, and biohazards such as hypodermic needles and corpses. In this paper I seek to unearth the archaeological experience of contaminants and consider contaminants as artifacts in their own right, both in the ground and (potentially) within the bodies of archaeologists. I also will consider the strategic deployment of material to counter contamination, including specialised personal protective equipment, improvised counter-contamination solutions and reflect upon my own and other’s experience of using such objects and their influence upon us and our practice. Lastly I will discuss the parallels with the idea of all archaeological material as a contaminant in the eyes of developers, requiring specialised contractors to remove, as well as the contamination of ‘real’ archaeology by ‘overburden’ or ‘plus’ features, such as concrete piling.
Ultimately this discussion will seek critical insights into the area of being an archaeologist in a milieu of non-human actants and in particular those which are potentially lethal to us, and therefore, the implications of such material being considered artifactual.

- by Jonathan Gardner
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- Archaeology, Concrete, Contaminated Land, Brownfields Redevelopment

Our group has prepared a report for Stockholm Royal Seaport with the vision that focusing on the social sustainability. We arrive at our vision through analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the existing plan of the Royal Seaport not only as an entity of its own, but also as an integral part of the City District of City District Ostermalm in the City of Stockholm in Stockholm Region in Sweden, as well as the lessons-learned from the precursor eco-district model Hammarby Sjöstad. In addition to the analysis, we also has analysed a number of articles that review the proposal and also other existing development that using the same concept in Sweden. Moreover, based on several interviews done by our team members that went for the site visit in Sweden also assured us that in order to realize the proposed development in the Royal Seaport, it will not work successfully if the focus is given to the environmental aspects alone, without other aspect such as economics and the most important aspect that related to the local community that lived there that is the social sustainability.

- by Joann Johani
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- Brownfields Redevelopment

Under "Super TIF" programs, approved projects get the benefit of project-generated state revenues in the same manner that local government tax increment financing ventures use project-derived property taxes to support the project. The result is probably the most powerful gap-closing incentive in the urban redevelopment toolbox. The article features game-changing revitalization projects in Allentown, Bowling Green, and Kansas City.

- by Evans Paull
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- Brownfields Redevelopment, Urban Redevelopment, Downtown Revitalization
- by Eugene Goldfarb
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- Brownfields Redevelopment

Charlestown Riverside holds huge potential to attract investment due to its location in Salford, North West England: one of Britain’s key growth areas. The aesthetic appeal of Charlestown Riverside’s waterfront and open spaces gives the area a unique edge. This report sets out by outlining findings from an in-depth Baseline Analysis previously conducted by Group 12 (see Annex A). The Baseline Analysis focusses on the physical attributes and fundamental issues present on the site. The Baseline Analysis then outlines three indicative visions for the development of the site which have the aim to meet the development needs of the Charlestown in different ways.

- by Hsuan Lo
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- Landscape Architecture, Community Development, Urban Planning, Urban Regeneration

Brownfield areas are a major concern in Europe because they are often extensive, persistent in time andcompromise stakeholders’ interests. Moreover, due to their complex nature, from the decision-makingpoint of view, the regeneration of brownfields is a challenging problem requiring the involvement of thewhole range of stakeholders. Many studies, projects and organisations have recognised the importanceof stakeholder involvement and have promoted public participation. However, comprehensive studies providing an overview of stakeholders’ perceptions, concerns, attitudes and information needs when dealing with brownfield regeneration are still missing. This paper presents and discusses a participatory methodology applied to stakeholders from five European countries to fill this research gap, to develop a system to support the categorisation of the needed information and to support the understanding of which typology of information is the most relevant for specific categories of stakeholder also in relation with their concerns. The engagement process consists of five phases: (i) planning and preparatory work, (ii) identification of stakeholder categories, (iii) engagement activities (e.g. focus groups and workshops), (iv) submission of a questionnaire and (v) provision of feedback to the involved stakeholders. Thanks to this process, appropriate stakeholders have been identified as well as their perceptions, concerns, attitudes and information needs. Stakeholders’ perceptions proved to be different according to the country: German and Italian stakeholders perceive brownfields as complex systems, where several issues need to be addressed, while Romanian stakeholders consider contamination as almost the only issue to be addressed; Czech and Polish stakeholders address an intermediate number of issues. Attitudes and concerns seemed to be quite similar between countries. As far as information needs are concerned, similarities between some groups of stakeholders have been noticed: site owners and problem holders are primarily interested in information on planning and financing, while authorities and services providers are interested in more technical aspects like investigation, planning and risk assessment. Some outstanding outcomes emerged from the scientific community and research group, which showed an interest for remediation strategies and options and socio-economic aspects. The research outcomes allowed to create a knowledge base for the future development of tailored and customised approaches and tools for stakeholders working in the brownfield regeneration field.

- by Marco Pesce and +2
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- Information Systems, Environmental Remediation, Stakeholders, Land management

Since the late post-war period the relationship between park and city has significantly altered. Parks established between 1980 and 2000 in Paris - in particular Parc de La Villette – exemplify developments in park design and the park-city relationship in this period and form precedents for many subsequent parks worldwide. Park designation in this period was related to the reform of public (open) space policy by urban administrations in many European cities in the early 1980s. Parc de La Villette was also seen as a tool for spatial, economic and social urban regeneration, and as a vehicle for political expression. Developments in the park-city relationship at Parc de La Villette were influenced by its location on a former industrial site; an obsolete urban territory designated for green space, nature and landscape and necessitating the translation of urban artifacts into landscape space. With little ‘former’ landscape to work with, the importance of the natural and cultural landscape as a basis for place-making diminished. At the same time layers of urban history were integrated into designs. La Villette demonstrates a new and extensive interrelationship between park and city on a spatial-morphological level with the integration of infrastructure and built form in the design. The result is an extensive blurring of the distinction between city and park both within the park and its threshold areas. By contrast, the alignment of the folie grid and galeries to the geometry of the Canal de l’Ourcq and the La Villette basin is a clear integration of city and countryside via the axial organization of space.

For the 2015/2016 academic year, NPCR worked with five graduate students from New York University’s urban planning school in undertaking a project that may change the way State government thinks about community revitalization. Rather... more

- by Barry Hersh and +4
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- Brownfields Redevelopment

As a consequence of rapid urbanization cities are facing two phenomena, abandoned brownfield sites, occupying attractive plots in the city center, and the urban sprawl - the expansion of cities on the edges. This paper deals with the theme of the importance of brownfields and their regeneration, as well as urban sprawl and the problems it causes. Finally, as a strategy for urban development is proposed to limit greenfield investments and redirect them to the abandoned sites, with which the sprawl problem can be restricted and controlled. Actively addressing these issues enables the development of a compact city, as the ultimate goal of sustainable urban development and smart growth.

- by Olivera Dulić and +1
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- Brownfields Redevelopment

The chapter examines innovative financial funding mechanisms that can spur private-sector investment in urban heritage regeneration projects. In recent years, the scope of urban heritage interventions has broadened to address both natural and cultural heritage; therefore, the definition of “brownfield” must be extended to include not only natural brownfields, such as contaminated sites, but also areas with cultural heritage assets, as for example, underutilized historic districts. Given the public good characteristics of brownfield investment, the private sector may undervalue the commercial returns and overvalue the related costs of projects, thereby leading to market failures and the undersupply of urban heritage redevelopment projects. The public sector must act as a catalyst to foster private investment in heritage brownfi eld regeneration by creating financial solutions,
such as debt leveraging, local revolving funds, and tax abatements/credits to create continuous stimulus and incentives that can help diminish the incidence of market failure in these types of investments. This is especially critical in developing countries. While private-sector funding for urban brownfield projects (especially natural heritage sites) is increasing, these actors need to assume a greater role in investing in urban cultural brownfield projects. Against this background, this chapter analyzes four models of financing urban heritage brownfields: (1) public-private partnerships, (2) land value finance mechanisms, (3) urban development funds, and (4) impact investment funds. Various case studies to corroborate the statements are presented.

- by Simone Caschili
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- Cultural Heritage, World Bank, Brownfields Redevelopment, PPP

The paper examines current policy, practice and outcomes of the urban regeneration in Leeds, with special focus on industrial heritage of the city. This is a review article with critical, analytical and problem oriented approach. Due to its architectural, social, historical and technological significance, industrial heritage is recognised as a prominent factor of the identity of many cities today and is often associated with interests of the local community. As a former industrial city, Leeds has a number of unused industrial buildings and a lot of potential for developing on this base. Still, as research showed, regeneration projects focuse on promotion of comercial facilities, and attempts to attract primarily tourists, students and young professionals to the city. Regeneration causes effects such as gentrification, lack of public facilities and engagement of local community, and loss of the sense of place. Examples of alternative projects in Leeds are researched at the end and some different approaches for development of the city proposed. More holistic and integral approach, oriented towards needs of the local community is recognised as a possible direction for future development.

- by Jasna Cizler
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- Human Geography, Social Geography, Urban Geography, Cultural Heritage

Using an example of the Czech Republic, this explorative study attempts to answer the question of what factors have a significant influence on a successful regeneration of brownfields in a post-socialistic space. The study is based on a comparative analysis of two data files – the database of existing brownfields provided by the national CzechInvest agency, and the database of successfully regenerated brownfields compiled by the authors themselves. The paper consists of three interrelated parts, the first one dealing with an analysis of the structure of regenerated brownfields, the second one confronting this with the structure of the existing brownfields by means of a comparative analysis, and the third one analyzing the factors of brownfield regeneration. The main types of functional transformation of space were identified and the factors that appeared to be significant determinants of brownfields regeneration were classified as the result.

- by Bohumil Frantal and +1
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- Urban Regeneration, Brownfields Redevelopment, Urban And Regional Planning, Urban Renewal
- by Shannon M Perez
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- Architecture, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Urbanism

The article presents selected worldwide examples of brownfield redevelopment, urban regeneration and especially waterfront revitalization; projects both completed and currently in progress, in which new spatial structures have been formed on the basis of the old ones. Projects in the United States, Poland, Germany, United Kingdom and China illustrate new concepts that respond to today's challenges and to the needs of urban centers with metropolitan ambitions, giving rise to a new architectural design quality whose greatest value is the coexistence of the past with the present. The description of examples of urban regeneration are preceded by an analysis of the legal, historical and economic factors that have had a decisive influence on the course of implementation of the revitalization actions, more extensively for European Union Member States. While the implementation varies, the overall role, opportunities and tools of waterfront brownfield redevelopment in creating new urban communities, are consistent and compelling.

- by Barry Hersh
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- Brownfields Redevelopment, Urban And Regional Planning

Tesi magistrale a.a. 2015-2016 in cui analizzo le teorie sul paesaggio naturale e antropico e quelle sulla percezione dello stesso.
Tentativo di valorizzare le aree dismesse dell'area in un percorso naturalistico, data la forte interconnessione di parchi locali tramite piste ciclabili.
Approfondimento sul paesaggio della fascia nord di Milano, attraversata dal canale artificiale Villoresi.
Caso-studio sulla riqualificazione dell'area ex-Alfa Romeo, dismessa alla fine degli Anni 90 e attualmente trasformata in uno dei centri commerciali più grandi d'Europa.
Illustrazioni realizzate tramite basiche operazioni GIS.
(perdonatemi alcuni grossolani errori di battitura!!)

- by Laura Caraci
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- Human Geography, Heritage Tourism, Brownfields Redevelopment, Paesaggio

The thesis is discussing the concepts of brownfields regeneration as an approach to achieve sustainable urban development. The research deals with different layers of complexity of sustainable urban regeneration as a process, and brownfields as sites. It analyzes some case studies, moreover it attempts to build on existing worldwide experience of brownfields regeneration strategies, and investigate the principles of sustainable urban planning strategy. The research main goal is to suggest a conceptual framework for dealing with the process of redeveloping brownfields in the Egyptian context, especially in Greater Cairo cities. The research addresses how brownfields regeneration could be considered as a main approach to achieve more sustainable strategic development in G.C.R.
This thesis consists of six chapters. Starting with an introductory chapter, followed by the theoretical part, which consists of two chapters. It presents a theoretical review that discusses different concepts of brownfields sustainable regeneration. In addition, it reviews the complexity of brownfields sustainable regeneration and related issues in complex urban systems .It investigates the impact of brownfields regeneration on urban environment, the challenges and driving forces that could affect the process of brownfields regeneration. The analytical part including (chapter four and five) presents different examples of practices in different countries, and cities, recognized benefits, challenges
Many cases for a number of projects that have been recognized as examples of sustainable brownfield regeneration. Moreover, it investigates the current conditions of brownfields in Greater Cairo contexts and relevant developmental approaches.
Finally, the research proposes a suggested conceptual framework in which brownfields could be integrated strategically in urban development goals. The research ends with conclusions and recommendations related to brownfields regeneration, that can offer the opportunity to promote sustainable, feasible projects that revitalize Egyptian cities.

- by Mohamed Haroun
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- Landscape Architecture, Land management, Urban Studies, Brownfields Redevelopment

The task of geography is to establish a critical system which
embraces the phenomenology of space in order to grasp all of its
meaning in the varied terrestrial scene (Sauer 1925). Brownfields are a
global geographic concern that have been considerably researched
within the universal discourse. Computer Aided Design (CAD) and its
tools have been widely used to enhance and optimize urban plans
during both design and implementation phases. Nonetheless, the
connection between the two is often broken. While greenfield
development enjoys the employment and implementation of a wide
array of CAD tools, brownfield redevelopment projects are still
struggling with traditional planning and management methods.
Looking at the association between sustainable brownfield
redevelopment and the optimization of CAD tools and software in the
city of Amman, Jordan, the paper attempts to shed light on the
unfulfilled potentials of advancement the spatial tools have to offer to
the ongoing quest for sustainable urban development on the local scale
and the global debate around the urban paradox on the wider scheme.
Using empirical data collected and processed in response to the
problem posed, the results indicate a CAD-based model could
streamline sustainable brownfield development and save substantial
time and resources which would otherwise be required using
traditional methods. The paper therefore argues that the need for a
comprehensive computer aided intervention for the development and
management of marginal and overlooked geographies of brownfields
in the city of Amman is long overdue.

- by Deyala Tarawneh
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- Urban Planning, Computer Aided Design, Brownfields Redevelopment, Amman
- by Mirela Paraschiv
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- Urban Geography, Industrial Ecology, Urban Planning, Brownfields Redevelopment

Large-scale urban development projects are seen as neo-liberal planning practises used to increase cities’ attractiveness in the increasingly competitive urban hierarchy, resulting in neglected social welfare issues. The study explores the social effects of new-build development of vacant land in Norra Alvstranden, Gothenburg. It is shown that the area has become a high-income enclave that can increase the core-periphery polarisation that the city is experiencing. It is argued that, due to contextual specifics of the geographical location, it is unlikely that the development will result in any form of displacement.

The mixed-use redevelopment of formerly contaminated waterfronts has become an important, but challenging part of urban revitalization, and also a significant real estate opportunity. This research project looks at the complexity of waterfront brownfields from the developer’s perspective and analyzes several cases as well as previous research, to suggest specific strategies for dealing with the process of remediating and redeveloping waterfront brownfields.
There’s been a remarkable renaissance on America’s urban waterways. The decline in industrial use has led to the opening up of waterfronts for increased residential, recreational and commercial use. In an era when traditional suburban development has become difficult due to transportation costs, environmental concerns and market shifts, in-city waterfront brownfields have often shown themselves to be significant opportunities. While there have been outstanding projects completed over time, the challenge is to provide a framework, so waterfront revitalization can be expedited and made more common, with greater emphasis on long-term sustainability.
Waterfront brownfield revitalization is extraordinary complex, incorporating real estate economics, land use, community benefits, ecology, hydrology, sustainability metrics, design, and politics across a variety of associated disciplines. Also involved are an array of regulatory and funding agencies, at the federal, state and local levels, and often elaborate impact analyses and mitigation strategies must also be employed. Developer concerns such as site analysis, land re-use approvals, market analysis, financing, remediation and liability approaches, project organization and sequencing, waterfront design and shoreline improvements, as well as a host of regulatory reviews are all involved. This study looks for systemic concepts that facilitate private sector-led urban waterfront redevelopment. After a careful literature review, including quantitative analyses as well as projects, this study uses case studies and interviews to provide information for developers.
Among the strategies discussed are:
• Leadership roles and team building; • Innovative financing tools, including government programs; • Techniques such as charrettes, checklists and critical paths to aid information flow and support creative planning and design; and • Specific approaches to difficult aspects such as acquisition strategy and synchronizing remediation and redevelopment.
While there is no silver bullet, there are a set of strategic pathways toward successful redevelopment of waterfront brownfields.

- by Barry Hersh
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- Real Estate, Brownfields Redevelopment, Urban Waterfronts, Urban Redevelopment

Over 200 years of industrialisation have caused soil contamination to be widespread in Europe. Decision makers, scientists, businesses and individual citizens generally accept and understand the impacts of air and water pollution on human health and environment, but the impacts of soil contamination have a much lower profile. Soil contamination is very often perceived as a burden for policy makers and public administration and as a potential threat for citizens’ health and environment. From the 1980s until today Europe has developed numerous laws to reduce and remediate the adverse effects of soil pollution. Each country has gathered very valuable information and published their own work in the national language (normally not accessible and not known by other countries in Europe), on how to manage contaminated sites that originated from industrial settlements, urbanization or by accidents.
This document is published at the initiative of the Eionet National Reference Centres for Soil, which established in 2015 an ad-hoc working group on contaminated sites and brownfields in Europe.The objective was to collect cases and successful stories of remediated sites and brownfields, harmonise and facilitate exchanges of information on contaminated soils and soil remediation between the Eionet contributing countries. These stories have been compiled in the present report as a publication to the International Year of Soil 2015. It aims to contribute to a better understanding of the remediation of contaminated sites and brownfields rehabilitation which is essential for sustainable land use management and to share best practices and new techniques in soil remediation and management of contaminated sites, meanwhile raising awareness of the enormous efforts needed to succeed. This document presents examples of success stories of remediation of contaminated soils in various contexts and different European countries. It is not meant to provide an exhaustive inventory of remediated sites in all countries. Thirteen countries comprising 19 European regions present a total of 29 cases which illustrate how soil and brownfields remediation along with sustainable land management have become essential for reversing the trend of soil degradation and ensuring the provision of ecosystem services by soil. The cases show progress in research and innovative technologies of soil remediation, new outstanding approaches to soil remediation management, beneficial integration of stakeholders in decision-making and fruitful progress in raising public awareness and citizen science.These success stories have also achieved the restoration, safeguarding and longterm ensurance of some of the most widely recognized functions of soils, such as support for water regulation and purification, provision of new habitat for organisms, food, fibre and fuel, promotion of cultural and recreation areas and foundation for human infrastructure.

- by Sara pelaez sanchez and +11
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- Ecosystem Services, Brownfields Redevelopment, Environmental Soil Science, Ecological restoration

Deakin University was commissioned in March 2016 by the Victorian Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) to develop a research report that would support DELWP’s work on the Moolap Coastal Strategic Framework Plan (Moolap Plan). The Moolap Plan examines possibilities for future land uses for the study area which includes the site of Alcoa’s former operations at Point Henry and the former Cheetham Saltworks sites in Moolap, a suburb on the Eastern outskirts of the Geelong CBD, Australia. The study area includes more than 1,200 hectares of largely industrial and coastal land. It is a complex site that presents a host of challenges and opportunities for Geelong and the State. The brief was to identify a range of brownfield redevelopment case studies that demonstrate attributes that may inform future land use options for the subject site of the Moolap Plan. The case studies consider a range of environmental, economic and social issues related to the redevelopment of saltpans, low-lying land and/or contaminated brownfield sites, and include examples of alternative land uses ranging from exemplary low-impact ecological scenarios through to progressive or iconic urban renewal and regeneration schemes. The primary purpose of these case studies is to develop a high-level, conceptual understanding of a broad range of potential land use options applicable to the subject site, as opposed to providing a deep analysis of each individual scenario. Each case study provides an outline of the particular project’s context, drivers, assets, issues, constraints, opportunities and outcomes. This research aims to learn from the experience of international brownfield redevelopments to better understand the risks and opportunities associated with various land use scenarios to inform the development of a strategic framework for the subject site in Moolap.

- by Fiona Gray and +1
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- Ecotourism, Sustainable Development, Urban Planning, Urban Regeneration

Demonstration of the integrated rural energy planning framework for sustainable energy development in low-income countries: Case studies of rural communities in Nigeria. Abstract A consensus is forming that shows that decentralized renewable energy may be the most appropriate method for electrification of rural communities as it enables countries to leapfrog the development of conventional electric grids. This type of energy-based economic development holds great promise and yet there are still unanswered questions of how best to move rural areas to adequate renewable energy. Therefore, this study provides integrated rural energy planning for improving localized renewable energy access in low-income countries. Using rural Nigeria as a case study, this paper presents a new methodology for locating and planning integrable off-grid renewable energy systems. The aim of the method is to illustrate a unified road map for energy planning and system design with renewable energy integration geared towards improving energy access in rural areas. Utilizing GIS-based tools, rural communities are identified, and their viable renewable energy resources are estimated. Adopting the reference building approach, seasonal disaggregated energy demand profiles are obtained at community scale with an hourly time-step. These are obtained markedly in the absence of smart-metering equipment and measured datasets on energy use. This method has wide applicability across areas with similar energy access and rural development issues especially in sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia.

- by Joshua Pearce
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- Photovoltaics, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development, Energy

The Evidence Base was compiled to underpin development of a strategy to boost skills to ensure the effective and efficient reuse of brownfield land. IT covers:
1. Setting the scene Page 3
2. Defining brownfield skills Page 4
3. Occupations providing brownfield skills Page 8
4. Labour shortage forecasting Page 12
5. Entry routes and career development Page 23
6. Knowledge transfer Page 33
7. Review of land contamination occupations Page 41
8. Skills barriers encountered by local authority contaminated and
regulators Page 64