Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: From Brownfields to Green Streets - A Proposal to Develop a Multi-Agency Collaborative Decision-Making Process for Solving Small Scale Brownfield Urban Redevelopment Issues
EPA Grant Number: SU831876Title: From Brownfields to Green Streets - A Proposal to Develop a Multi-Agency Collaborative Decision-Making Process for Solving Small Scale Brownfield Urban Redevelopment Issues
Investigators: Lutzenhiser, Loren , Messer, Barry , Henry, Clark , Morehead, Grant , Kibler, Kristen , Barewin, Lesley , Meyer, Vanessa , Fish, William
Institution: Portland State University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: October 1, 2004 through May 31, 2005
Project Amount: $10,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2004) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
The prevalence of brownfield properties across the United States has reached epidemic proportions. Created from lack of market interest, preference for easily developed land, fear of legal liability and lack of resources, brownfields pose a serious threat to People, Prosperity, and Planet. “Greening Urban Brownfields” outlines a strategy that focuses on teams of multi-disciplinary graduate students working under the guidance of faculty to build partnerships between agencies, the public, and developers to transform a vacant brownfield into a community asset.
The purpose of Phase I of this project was to gain an understanding of the barriers to brownfield redevelopment and produce a replicable model for bringing these sites back into public and private use. Specific objectives included developing a team, conducting research, meeting with and soliciting input from various stakeholder groups, initiating partnerships, and designing an academic curriculum for future implementation. Our research found a lack of an appropriate vehicle through which sustainable concepts, as defined by P3, are integrated into current brownfield redevelopment practices. This proposal offers a pathway for formal integration of sustainable concepts into brownfield redevelopment.
Five graduate students from the School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University (PSU) formed a team and met once a week with PSU faculty Loren Lutzenhiser and Barry Messer. This team conducted research using the internet, publications, interviews, and stakeholder meetings to obtain information. Research was used to identify the fundamental steps in brownfield redevelopment and redefine them in way that focuses on sustaining People, Prosperity, and Planet. The team also held a public meeting to solicit stakeholder feedback on feasibility of the brownfield redevelopment model and their willingness to participate as future partners.
In addition to team research, Urban Studies doctoral students conducted qualitative research through interviews with brownfield experts and other stakeholders. Literature review of existing studies was also conducted. The team used all of this research to develop the model and a PSU curriculum for implementation, which is defined in Phase II.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
During Phase I, PSU students and faculty developed an approach that they believe addresses the problem of small-scale urban brownfields. This approach, which will be implemented by students through a new academic curriculum, focuses on the creation of partnerships to reclaim these urban lands. Collaboration with a variety of stakeholders of diverse expertise and interest is essential to a solution that incorporates People, Place, and Planet in brownfield redevelopment.
Data collected during this phase included mostly qualitative information related to the brownfield issue and sustainable practices related to assessment, remediation, community involvement and redevelopment. Key findings included:
- Public assistance for brownfields should focus on sites smaller than 5 acres.
- Public investment in infrastructure around brownfields can help create interest from investors.
- Community support can improve the success of a brownfield redevelopment project.
- Neighborhood brownfield redevelopment should serve the existing community.
- Opportunities for future development of brownfields should be expanded.
- Brownfields offer prime land without sprawl and increased- auto dependence.
- A market environment for brownfields needs to be created.
- Public education is needed to change the stigma of brownfields.
In addition, team members hosted a roundtable discussion with various community groups, redevelopment interests, and representatives of regulatory and permitting authorities. The purpose of the meeting was to gather feedback on the “Greening Urban Brownfields” model, and to establish external partnerships for the implementation stage. The following highlights the external partners’ discussion about the initial model, possible improvements, and how various stakeholders may be able to partner in the process:
- The process should build on past and continuing community work.
- Small-sized properties should be targeted.
- Local property owners deserve the opportunity to benefit and build wealth.
- Each site is unique and requires flexibility within the process.
- Building partnerships is the key to success.
- The process must provide continuity for students and the community.
Conclusions:
Research and findings lead us to conclude that Greening Urban Brownfields is a feasible means to achieve sustainability goals in brownfield redevelopment if certain steps are taken. Drawn from public input, literature review and interviews it is clear that the class must be grounded in financial, political and technical reality. Activity under Greening Urban Brownfields must also take into account previous and ongoing public involvement efforts around general visioning processes and those particular to brownfields.
It is also critical to consider that brownfield redevelopment timelines and class schedules do not necessarily coincide. Students and faculty will have to take this into account and broker relationships, identify resources and outline strategies that property owners and other stakeholders can continue to reference long after the class is over.
9 O'Brien Avenue
"Greening Urban Brownfields" proposes an innovative method for achieving sustainability goals, by recognizing the multi-faceted nature of the brownfields issue and creating an equally and appropriately dynamic solution. This is a unique and replicable approach to using academic process, science and technology for sustainability.
Using Portland State University as a vehicle, “Greening Urban Brownfields” leverages interdisciplinary collaboration toward the newly prioritized objectives of People, Prosperity and Planet. It does so using P3 principles to mitigate the private and public sector’s common hesitation caused by perceived risk of the unknown. By implementing this program, EPA and PSU will move beyond the unknown, and set a proven example of how sustainability can and should be common practice.
Phase II involves a multidisciplinary team of graduate students working over the course of three academic terms under interdisciplinary instruction. Throughout these terms, the team will develop sustainable strategies for an actual brownfield site. This will include:
- Performing a community-based site assessment,
- Researching and recommending sustainable remediation alternatives,
- Conducting public outreach and visioning particular to the site,
- Developing interim use strategy for the site,
- Developing community-supported guidance for final redevelopment
Results will be measured in terms of jobs and tax revenue created, acres of land recycled, acres of greenfields saved, construction jobs leveraged and realization of community developed vision plans. More importantly, the creation of new and lasting partnerships is a measure of success.
Supplemental Keywords:
RFA, Scientific Discipline, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Waste, Economics, Brownfields, decision-making, Ecology and Ecosystems, Urban and Regional Planning, Social Science, Economics & Decision Making, brownfield sites, redevelopment, urban regeneration, collaborative decision making, coalition formation, urban waste management, collaborative resolution, risk assessment , advocacy coalition framework, decision making, environmental decision making, environmental remediation, environmental assessment, clean-up strategies, community based environmental planning, community participation, environmental policy, environmental protection, environmental education, stakeholdersThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.