A brownfield is any land that has previously been built on, like abandoned factories, unoccupied office buildings, or any location that was once a work site. These now-vacant areas are usually cluttered with leftover buildings and are often contaminated with industrial waste. Left in disrepair, these sites are considered toxic and can pose harm to communities. However, reinvesting in these areas are important because they can increase local tax bases, facilitate job growth, and improve and protect the environment.

Simply because an area once had buildings does not automatically make the soil polluted; one must first conduct an environmental assessment to know if contamination is present. After this determination, the next step is to restore the land to its original (pre-contamination) condition by reversing or stopping environmental damage in a process called remediation; the amount and type of clean-up is determined by how the area will be used.

There are a multitude of ways of integrating these polluted lands back into communities. A common pipeline of transformation sees brownfields converted to brightfields, or solar farms. Brownfields are uniquely suited to this development, as they offer unshaded open spaces, preexisting infrastructure connected to the grid, and proximity to population centers.

The options don’t end there; the state of Michigan has utilized their brownfield program to increase pedestrian- friendly downtown areas, recognizing that redevelopment increases the value of brownfield sites and other nearby properties. Furthermore, Milwaukee has recently made the news for their remediated environmental wonderland; they converted a brownfield into an educational environmental experience that helps illustrate how to adapt to stormwater through green infrastructure.

One must remember that brownfields are categorized by actual or imagined contamination. We can reduce the number of brownfields by preventing pollution where possible, and cleaning up spills if they occur. We can also reduce contamination spreading to other facilities by keeping up with structural and nonstructural controls and implementing more green infrastructure. For further reading on brownfields and remediation, check out the hyperlinked news and scholarly articles.