Alternative Approach to Prioritization of Brownfield Reclamation Attending to Urban Development Potentialities: Case Study in a Depressed Industrial District in Northern Spain
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 142, Issue 1
Abstract
Site selection is a fundamental part of the decision-making process when attempting to reclaim derelict land and brownfield sites in any specific area. A geographic information system (GIS)-based multicriteria decision analysis was conducted to prioritize brownfield redevelopment in a depressed post-industrial district in northern Spain, following site redevelopment criteria of adequacy of the various sites to putative urban reuses, attending to physical, environmental, urban, and legal factors. Four main possible uses were defined, i.e., residential, industrial, recreational, and infrastructural, and the various factors were weighed according to their relative importance for each of these types of development. The results show that the primary factor conditioning brownfield redevelopment in the study area is the availability of urban facilities and proximity of the derelict patches to urbanized areas where the main infrastructures and services are guaranteed. They also highlight the deep impact that certain activities such as mining and uncontrolled chemical waste discharges may cause on the areas affected by them, which might be irreversibly condemned to abandonment due to the high costs and technical difficulties involved in restoring them. Thus, site location with respect to urban facilities and previous activities seem to be the two main factors conditioning the suitability of brownfields for redevelopment in the study area.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This study was based on the research project: Establishment of the Strategic Bases for the Environmental and Socioeconomic recovery of the lower Besaya, 2012, directed by JA Revilla, and funded by the Department of Environment, Urban and Spatial Planning of the Regional Government of Cantabria (Spain). We appreciate the valuable contributions of the research team members of the above-mentioned project and particularly acknowledge J. Sáinz-Martínez for his support in the elaboration of the cartographic material. The constructive comments of two anonymous reviewers and the editorial team substantially improved the quality of our paper.
References
Aguilar, S. C., Cernikova, M., and Dubova, M. (2011). “Historical contamination and brownfield management: What does economic theory say about it?” Ecosystems and sustainable development VIII book series: Search institute series on developmentally attentive community and society, Y. Villacampa and C. A. Brebbia, eds., Southampton, England, 339–349.
Aguiló, M. (1984). A guide for the elaboration of physical environment studies. Contents and methodology, Centre of spatial planning and environmental studies. Ministry of public works and urban planning, Madrid, Spain.
Amekudzi, A., and Fomunung, I. (2004). “Integrating brownfields redevelopment with transportation planning.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 204–212.
ArcGIS 10. [Computer software]. Redlands, CA, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).
Bernath-Walker, S., Boutilier, T., and Hipel, K. W. (2010). “Systems management study of a private brownfield renovation.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 249–260.
BLM (Bureau of Land Management). (1980). Visual resource contrast rating, Bureau of land management, U.S. Dept. of Internal Affairs, Washington, DC.
Blokhuis, E. G. J., Schaefer, W. F., van Gogh, N., and Kleine, A. J. (2008). “Choosing a competence based governance role in brownfield redevelopment processes.” Brownfields IV. WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., 107, 243–253.
Bogen, A. (2008). “Revitalizing secondary market Brownfield sites.” Brownfields IV. WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., 107, 139–147.
Botequilha Leitao, A., and Ahern, J. (2002). “Applying landscape ecological concepts and metrics in sustainable landscape planning.” Landscape Urban Plann., 59(2), 65–93.
Brooks, C. N. (2008). “Integrating sustainable development and brownfields reuse—Principles and practice.” WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., 107, 3–14.
Chrysochou, M., et al. (2012). “A GIS and indexing scheme to screen brownfields for area-wide redevelopment planning.” Landscape Urban Plann., 105(3), 187–198.
CLARINET (Contaminated Land Rehabilitation Network for Environmental Technologies). (2002). “Brownfields and redevelopment of urban areas.” A Rep. from Working Group 2001 of the Concerted Action CLARINET, European Commission, DG Research, Environment and Climate Programme and Co-ordinated by the Austrian Federal Environment Agency, Umweltbundesamt, Vienna, Austria.
De Sousa, C. (2003). “Turning brownfields into green space in the City of Toronto.” Landscape Urban Plann., 62(4), 181–198.
Donati, A., et al. (2004). “Influence of ancient mining settlements on Arsenic pollution in the southwest of Tuscany.” Brownfield sites II, A. Donati, C. Rossi, and C. A. Brebbia, eds., Southampton, England, 183–189.
Drexler, J. (2005). “Post-industrial nature in the coal mine of Göttelborn, Germany: The integration of Ruderal vegetation in the conversion of a Brownfield.” Wild urban woodlands, I. Kowarik and S. Körner, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 277–286.
EAG (Environmental Analysis Group), University of Santander. (1980). “Environmental survey along the Santander—Unquera coastal strip, Northern Spain and assessment of its capacity for development.” Landscape Plann., 7(1), 23–56.
Eckerd, A., and Keeler, A. G. (2012). “Going green together? Brownfield remediation and environmental justice.” Policy Sci., 45(4), 293–314.
Elliott, T. I. (2000). “Reclamation of contaminated land affected by shallow mining in the Black Country, England.” Trans. Inst. Min. Metall., (Sect. A–Min. Technol.), 109(3), 195–201.
EU (European Union). (2011). “Cohesion Policy 2014–2020. Investing in Europe’s regions.” Panorama inforegio, Vol. 40, Brussels, Belgium.
European Commission (COM). (2004). Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions: Towards a thematic strategy on the urban environment, Brussels, Belgium.
Everard, M., and Moggridge, H. L. (2012). “Rediscovering the value of urban rivers.” Urban Ecosystems, 15(2), 293–314.
Ferreira da Silva, E., Serrano Pinto, L., Patinha, C., and Cardoso Fonseca, E. (2004). “Site-specific characterization of Castromil brownfield area related to gold mining activities.” Environ. Geochem. Health, 26(1), 13–25.
Glumac, B., Han, Q., and Schaefer, W. (2014). “Actors’ preferences in the redevelopment of Brownfield: Latent class model”. J. Urban Plann. Dev., 04014017.
Gómez, M. (1998). “Reflective images: The case of urban regeneration in Glasgow and Bilbao.” Int. J. Urban Reg. Res., 22(1), 106–121.
Gómez, P., Nogués, S., and Olavarri, R. (1997). Torrelavega. 20th century. The economic integration of a county, Commerce and Industry Chamber of Torrelavega, Torrelavega, Spain.
House Resolution 2869. (2002). Small business liability relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, 〈〉.
Kattwinkel, M., Biederman, R., and Kleyer, M. (2011). “Temporary conservation for urban biodiversity.” Biol. Conserv., 144(9), 2335–2343.
Lafortezza, R., Corry, R. C., Sanesi, G., and Brown, R. D. (2008). “Visual preference and ecological assessments for designed alternate brownfield rehabilitations.” J. Environ. Manage., 89(3), 257–269.
LaGro, J. A. (2013). Site analysis: Informing context-sensitive and sustainable site planning and design, 3rd Ed., Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.
Lange, D., and McNeil, S. (2004a). “Brownfield development: Tools for stewardship.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 109–116.
Lange, D., and McNeil, S. (2004b). “Clean it and they will come? Defining successful brownfield development.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 101–108.
Lange, D., Wang, D., Zhuang, Z. M., and Fontana, W. (2014). “Brownfield development selection using multiattribute decision-making.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 04013009.
Lee, S., and Mohai, P. (2013). “The socioeconomic dimensions of brownfield cleanup in the Detroit region.” Popul. Environ., 34(3), 420–429.
Loures, L., and Panaganopoulos, T. (2007). “Sustainable reclamation of industrial areas in urban landscapes.” WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., 102, 791–800.
Malczewski, J. (1999). GIS and multicriteria decision analysis, Wiley, New York.
Maliene, V., Wignall, L., and Malys, N. (2012). “Brownfield regeneration: Waterfront site developments in Liverpool and Cologne.” J. Environ. Eng. Landscape Manage., 20(1), 5–16.
Manion, N. C., Campbell, L., and Rutter, A. (2010). “Historic brownfields and industrial activity in Kingston, Ontario: Assessing potential contributions to mercury contamination in sediment of the Cataraqui River.” Sci. Total Environ., 408(9), 2060–2067.
Mashayekh, Y., Hendrickson, C., and Mathews, H. (2014). “LEED-certified residential brownfield development as a travel and greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 04014022.
Nagengast, A., Hendrickson, C., and Lange, D. (2011). “Commuting from U.S: Brownfield and greenfield residential development neighborhoods.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 298–304.
Nassauer, J. I. (2012). “Landscape as medium and method for synthesis in urban ecological design.” Landscape Urban Plann., 106(3), 221–229.
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). (2000). Urban brownfields, Paris.
O’Malley, S. (2008). “Brownfield’s revitalization: It’s all about choices.” WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., 107, 25–31.
Paisajes Españoles. (2000). Left margin of the Saja-Besaya river, Municipal Archive, Ayuntamiento de Torrelavega, Madrid, Spain.
Pediaditi, K., Wehrmeyer, W., and Burningham, K. (2006). “Evaluating brownfield redevelopment projects: A review of existing sustainability indicator tools and their adoption by the UK development industry.” WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., 94, 51–60.
Rall, E. L., and Haase, D. (2011). “Creative intervention in a dynamic city: A sustainability assessment of an interim use strategy for brownfields in Leipzig, Germany.” Landscape Urban Plann., 100(3), 189–201.
Research and Development Centre of Santander (CIDS). (1987). Environmental thematic cartography of Santander province. Scale: 1:50.000, Dept. of Geology, Univ. of Cantabria and Regional Government of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
Riding, A., Critchley, N., Wilson, L., and Parker, J. (2010). Definition and mapping of open mosaic habitats on previously developed land: Phase 1 final report, ADAS, U.K.
Schädler, S., Morio, M., Bartke, S., Rohr-Zänker, R., and Finkel, M. (2011). “Designing sustainable and economically attractive brownfield revitalization options using an integrated assessment model.” J. Environ. Manage., 92(3), 827–837.
Silverthorne, T. (2006). “What constitutes success in brownfield redevelopment?” WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., 94, 39–49.
Stenner, R. D., Hull, R. N., and Willes, R. F. (2002). “Involving stakeholders to achieve successful development of brownfield sites.” Brownfield sites: Assessment, rehabilitation and development, C. A. Brebbia, D. Almorza, and H. Klapperich, eds., Southampton, England, 153–161.
Stewart, D. (2004). “Smart development” for brownfields: A futures approach using the prospective through scenario planning method.” Brownfield sites II, A. Donati, C. Rossi, and C. A. Brebbia, eds., Southampton, England, 233–241.
Thomas, M. R. (2002). “A GIS-based decision support system for brownfield redevelopment.” Landscape Urban Plann., 58(1), 7–23.
Torrelavega Townhall. (1985). Revision and adaptation of the Torrelavega master plan (amended text 1996), Torrelavega, Spain.
Tyler, P., Warnock, C., Provins, A., and Lanz, B. (2012). “Valuing the benefits of urban regeneration.” Urban Stud., 50(1), 169–190.
Universidad de Cantabria. (2012). Strategic guidelines for the environmental and socioeconomic recovery of the lower Besaya area, Regional Government of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
Wang, H., Shen, Q., and Tang, B. (2014). “GIS-based framework for supporting land use planning in urban renewal: Case study in Hong Kong.” J. Urban Plann. Dev., 05014015.
Wedding, G. C., and Crawford-Brown, D. (2007). “Measuring site-level success in brownfield redevelopments: A focus on sustainability and green building.” J. Environ. Manage., 85(2), 483–495.
Whitman, I. L. (2006). “Brownfield redevelopment by the private sector: Market driven decision making.” WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., 94, 21–27.
Wiley, J. B., and Asadi, B. (2002). “Redevelopment potential of landfills. A case study of six New Jersey projects.” Brownfield sites, C. A. Brebbia, D. Almorza, and H. Klapperich, eds., WIT Press, Southampton, England, 41–55.
Woods, R. (2012). “Brownfield sites and moth diversity in the Tees estuary.” Entomol. Rec. J. Var., 124, 89–100.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 142 • Issue 1 • March 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 5, 2013
Accepted: Nov 26, 2014
Published online: Jan 30, 2015
Discussion open until: Jun 30, 2015
Published in print: Mar 1, 2016
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.