MODULE 1 – Introduction to Brownfields

Jirina Bergatt Jackson

„This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the

information contained therein.“

Presentation content

• Brownfields definition and problem

description

• Brownfields causation and effects

• Revelation and intervention

• Goals, drivers and solutions

What is a brownfield

CABERNET project brownfield definition

Brownfields are sites that:• have been affected by the former uses of the site and

surrounding land• are derelict or underused• may have real or perceived contamination problems• are mainly in developed urban areas• require intervention to bring them back to beneficial use• www.cabernet.org.uk

A brownfield fairytale…

One day (hopefully soon), an investor in a big white Mercedes will come and . . .• Prepares a project that cost him lots of time and money and carries exceptional

risks.• If necessary, initiates zoning changes.• Prepares and pays for all necessary technical surveys and investigations of

potential environmental damages.• Investigates complicated land ownership and land charges and places a securing

contract on the land, despite the unstable context for securing land titles.• Doesn't hesitate to pay unrealistic prices for dilapidated properties and land

purchased from large numbers of owners.• Eagerly invests money in the necessary environmental clearance, and

demolition.• Brings lots of money for the project itself, which will create jobs and an

increases in a tax base for the communityThen kisses the frog and changes it into a prince....

From when we „see“ brownfields

• From the beginning of history, human activities were changing and this caused abandoning existing structures for new ones´. (For example, castles

became superfluous, when gunpowder came to use.)

• Brownfield label was firstly used in 1970 and then it meant mostly risky, contaminated and abundant industrial properties. (This perception still

continues in some countries, mainly US, but the EU accepts CABERNET definition.)

• In late 1980 it was realized, that brownfields are of more varied origin (demising institutions, dilapidated housing, outlived transport est.) .

• The key brownfields issues were realized in late 1990. They, were:• their integration in an urban context and the opportunity • their reuse may bring to improvements to urban environment

• Parallelly to this is was realized that brownfields reuse can• support communities cohesion • and that it supports communities quality of life and competitiveness

Spatial context of brownfield sites• …single dilapidated property in the

middle of community,• …several empty or underused

properties within the urban area,• … demise of the whole industrial

and/or service base of the community or even the entire region,

• … devastation of vast tracts of land affected by a community’s past economic or other activities?

UNDER-UTILIZED BROWNFIELDS SITES BRING COMMUNITIES REDUCED OR NO INCOME AND LOWER THEIR URBAN LAND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE

What types of brownfields do you know?

Photos : IURS file, ortophoto: www.mapy.cz

Approaches by other countries

• Spatial agendas are fully within national remits, this is why approaches to • brownfields solutions varies from country to country. National ways of • governing and problem solving guide the individual countries approach to • brownfields solutions. They are:

• driven by particular nation levels of brownfield blight and threats,• by governing systems and legal framework suitability,• depend on local management and technical experience, • depended on market reactions and maturity of markets, • vary from supporting and enabling owners to supporting institutions or

delivering government policy.• New approaches are constantly developing and solutions are updating.• Not all solutions prove to be correct (hence the updating). • Not all brownfields do have a market solution.

NOT ALL BROWNFIELDS SOLUTIONS ARE EASILY TRANSFERABLE,BUT GENERALLY THE PRINCIPLES ARE

What causes brownfields and what effect they have?

What causes brownfields Changes in the society production and organizational base Changes in society systems Global change from industrial to post-industrial society Pressures, that private capital alone can not cope with Unsuitable land use policies and practises

What effect they have Low demand, low growth, property price reduction, social disparities

URBAN LAND RECYCLING IS NOTHING NEW, IT HASBEEN WITH US FOR CENTURIES AND SOCIETIES HAVE

CREATED VARIOUS TOOLS TO COPE WITH IT

How do brownfields affect us?

High % brownfields in a community has detrimental effects:• Deter investors• Reduce business activities• Bring job reduction• Cause decreases in surrounding property values• Cause decreases in the productive tax rate• Cause lowering of living standards• Can cause lowering of environmental standards• Pushe out the able, mobile and young population• Build up social and environmental inequity• Increases cost of externalities (infrastructure, transport, est.)IT REALLY DOES NOT MATTER WHO OWNS THESE BROWNFIELDS - THE

WHOLE COMMUNITY IS AFFECTED BY THEIR EXISTENCE

Dynamics of brownfields reuse

UK DATA

Source :http://www.cabernet.org.uk/resourcefs/427.pdf, page 41

Advantages of brownfield reuse

• Removes unproductive “holes” in the local urban fabric(economic dimension)

• Catalyst to revitalization of the entire local area (social dimension)

• Increased local employment, local economic activity and local tax base in the area

(economic dimension)

• Public health and protection of local environment and heritage

(social, cultural and environmental dimension)

• Reduced development pressure on Greenfields (environmental, economic and social sustainability)

Revelation

BROWNFIELDS ARE A LAND USE, PLANNING AND REAL ESTATE PROBLEM

which affects entire community, reduces its quality of life, threatens its social integrity

and depletes its property values.

Goals for brownfields solutions

• Improve land use effectiveness• Reduce the costs of development externalities • Support land use recycling and sustainability• Improve energy effectiveness• Improve national competitiveness

XY % OF NEW HOUSING ON BROWNFIELDSXY% OF INVESTMENT INTO ALREADY URBANISED AREASXY% OF YEARLY REDUCTION TO BROWNFIELDS LANDXY% OF REDUCTION TO URBANIZED AREA INCREASES INDEX

Drivers to brownfields reuse

National/regional drivers• Needs to remain competitive• Changes in society knowledge and values• Economic growth• Environmental and social pressures• Sustainability

Local drivers• Provide liveable, attractive and equitable urban

environment• Provide personal and property safety• Provide development opportunities• Provide employment opportunities• Provide environmental safety and diversity • Improve tax income and land use affectivity

What kind of intervention is needed to get brownfields reused?

ADVICE

KNOW-HOW

GOOD RULES

LEADERSHIP

MONEY

Intervention should be directed mainly towards brownfields owners

NONMONETORY OR „SOFT“ PUBLIC INTERVENTION IS OFTEN THE KEY TO A SOLUTION

What land owners do about brownfields?Active brownfields owners attitudes

• Maximize their return on their investment/ asset• Mitigate their potential liabilities• Work to realize the site reuse potential• Form partnerships to realize the location reuse and development potential

Passive brownfields owners attitudes• Dead beetle position

• Land/opportunity speculation• Cash or know-how limitation• Limitation of ability to act

Unknown owners – delays in the reuse processes

OWNERS NEED TO BE ASSISTED TO UNDERSTAND THE REAL REUSE POTENTIAL OF THEIR SITES

Way to brownfields solutions

Applies to all levels (national, regional, local)

• Get involved• Get informed• Create workable partnerships• Provide leadership

BOTH TOP-DOWN AND BOTTOM-UP APPROACHES ARE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE BROWNFIELDS SOLUTIONS

Achieving an effective brownfield solution

• Brownfields have strong spatial, economic, social and environmental consequences, therefore their solutions need to be cross-institutional, cross departmental, cross-professional.

• To move a subject of such a complexity, it is necessary for it to have a wide public and political support and

• be it one of national, regional and local priorities.• Without such an approach, subject may be „nibbled“, but

not really addressed and funds and efforts directed into it may be wasted.

Conclusions – introduction to brownfields• Brownfields are not industrial but a land use, planning and

real estate issue, which affects the whole society.• To address brownfields reuse effectively, a large amount of

new know-how is needed to be directed to all the stakeholders.

• Way to brownfields solutions is to get involved, get informed, create workable partnerships, provide leadership.

• Brownfields are complex issue which has to be addressed in an integrated manner.

Thank you for your attention

http://browntrans.vsb.cz

„This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the

information contained therein.“