Integrating brownfield redevelopments into the urban fabric.

摘要

The American landscape is dotted with hundreds of thousands of sites that are contaminated and underutilized. These sites bring down surrounding property values and face unique barriers that inhibit their redevelopment. Addressing these sites is complicated as a result of the number of sites needing attention and the limited resources to address them with. Much work has been done about the characteristics of these sites but minimal work has been done with regards to how they relate to surrounding area. The work that has been done in regards to brownfields and their relationship to the neighborhood has focused on site opportunities and how they fit with other community goals rather than neighborhood characteristics.;Through a case study approach of two North Carolina counties this paper explores how brownfields fit with the surrounding neighborhood social and economic characteristics. The findings suggest that trends exist around brownfield sites that redevelop and the type of end uses that emerge. These findings are then used to discuss developing community redevelopment strategies, how cities and communities can foster redevelopment, and recommendations for potential redevelopment funding mechanisms. These findings are framed around indicators that are readily available from the U.S. Census Bureau for a replicable methodology.