Laura Solitare

Brownfield redevelopment as a smart growth option in the United States

An evaluation is made of brownfields redevelopment as a smart growth policy compared to purchase of land, restrictive growth policies, changing transportation patterns, promoting compact development designs on the metropolitan fringe, and regional government. In the US brownfields redevelopment has clear advantages with regard to environmental protection, moral imperative, and government and special interest reactions. Its rank with regard to economic feasibility, ability to respond to changes in technology, and public reaction are not clear. A great deal more research is needed, especially about the costs of brownfield redevelopment and public preferences for housing type and location to be certain about brownfields redevelopment as a viable smart growth option.

Brownfields, Toads, and the Struggle for Neighborhood Redevelopment A Case Study of the State of New Jersey

A survey was made of all municipalities in the state of New Jersey (N = 566) to determine how many had brownfields sites that caused property devaluation and land-use changes beyond the site boundaries. Most municipalities (80%, n = 450) replied; 10% indicated that brownfields sites caused neighborhood impacts, and 3% reported land-use and neighborhood impacts more than one-quarter mile from the site and multiple land-use changes as a result of a brownfield site. Typically, this last group of neighborhoods also had neighborhood problems such as unsafe conditions and inadequate services. Policy suggestions for this group of highly stressed neighborhoods are discussed.

Prerequisite conditions for meaningful participation in brownfields redevelopment

Abstract Current research in environmental planning supports decision making based on collaborative planning mechanisms. While current research clearly details the limitations to and prerequisites for meaningful public participation in general and for select environmental issues, there is little focus on them in brownfields redevelopment. In practice, the general assumptions are that brownfields redevelopment is an ideally situated policy issue for participatory planning. However, as this paper will illustrate through case study research, there are several situational prerequisites that must be met before there can be meaningful citizen participation in brownfields redevelopment. By highlighting these prerequisites, the authors goal is to mobilize research and policy efforts to overcome those limitations and to foster widespread meaningful participation in the redevelopment of brownfields in residential neighborhoods.

Impact of Providing Off-Site Economic Development Funds to Dependent Regions Surrounding the U.S. DOE's Major Nuclear Weapons Sites

Abstract Using an interregional econometric simulation model, a comparative analysis was made of the economic impacts of providing funds for environmental management, education, and infrastructure to the regions surrounding four of the United States Department of Energys massive former nuclear weapons sites in Idaho, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Washington. Infrastructure funds were used to build sewers, water lines, roads, bridges, and maintain existing infrastructure. Education funds were invested in higher education, primary and vocational schools, books, and libraries. Environmental management funds were invested in on-site remediation. Education produced the most jobs and personal income per dollar of investment, followed by environmental management. Infrastructure, by far, produced the least impact. An important reason for these results is that the relatively small regional economies surrounding these sites are unable to supply the goods and services required for major expansions. Hence, there is considerable leakage of investments to other regions. The limitations of these models to capture feedbacks from investments is emphasized.

Downsizing US Department of Energy facilities: evaluating alternatives for the region surrounding the Savannah River nuclear weapons site region

Abstract The economic impacts of reduced spending by the US Department of Energy (DOE) are estimated for the period 2000–2035 for the region surrounding the Savannah River Nuclear Weapons Site in South Carolina and for the states of South Carolina and Georgia. The detrimental economic impact, which reaches more than 20% of jobs, and personal income in the multi-county area immediately surrounding the site, can be reduced by on- and off-site investments. The impacts of building an accelerator to produce tritium and to destroy extremely dangerous nuclear wastes, and of investing in the region’s educational system and infrastructure are explored as illustrations. The findings imply a need for considerable thought about what kinds of investments should be made in the region by an interdepartmental group of federal, state and local officials and other local leaders rather than relying solely on the DOE.

When a joke represents so much more: the end of PLANET and the rise of planners 2040

aDepartment of city and regional Planning, University of north carolina, chapel hill, north carolina; bDepartment of city and regional Planning, capital Planning and regional campuses, ohio State University, columbus, ohio; cJohn Jay college of criminal Justice and The graduate center, city University of new york, new york; dDepartment of Urban Planning and environmental Policy, Texas Southern University, houston, Texas; eMaxine levin college of Urban affairs, cleveland State University, cleveland, ohio; fDepartment of landscape architecture and Urban Planning, Texas a&M University, college Station, Texas, USa