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COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF LAND REVITALIZATION
B U I L D I N G V I B R A N T C O M M U N I T I E S:
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Foreword
In 1993, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) launched a small pilot program called
brownelds with an initial grant o $200,000 to
Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Through this pilot, a seven
acre site was assessed and cleaned up, 141 jobs
were created, and two sites were created or healthy
new businesses. It also sparked a movement to clean
up and redevelop idled, underused, abandoned, and
vacant properties throughout the country.
Today, the EPA Brownelds Program has changed the
landscape o Americas communities and transormed
once vacant properties into beacons o hope or many
economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.To date,
the program has provided more than 2,500 grants
totaling more than $600 million in direct unding
to communities, which leveraged an additional
$12 billion rom other sources to assess, clean up
and reuse brownelds. This investment has yielded
more than 54,000 jobs many in disadvantaged
communities. While these statistics are impressive,
there is also a broad range o additional community-
wide benets that can result rom the redevelopment
and reuse o browneld properties.
This report highlights these other community
benets and potential redevelopment opportunities
to create more vibrant, healthy, sae, and sustainable
communities. Specically, the report highlights
the potential use o brownelds or agriculture and
ood systems, arts and culture, housing and mixed
uses, and other community and civic uses such as
greenspace, schools, and health care acilities. O
course, these benets and the Brownelds Program
itsel could not occur without our numerous ederal,
state, municipal, nonprot, and private sector
partners, who we highlight throughout the report.
The purpose o this report is to help us all rethink,
make new connections, and broaden our idea o the
resources available to clean up brownelds properties,
revitalize our communities, create new economic
opportunities, and improve our nations environment
and health.
I understand that in todays economic conditions,
browneld tools are needed more than ever to
clean up and redevelop browneld properties or
sustainable uses that create local jobs. EPA has to
meet that challenge by working and listening to local
communities, ostering public-private partnerships,
and providing fexibility in our resources. I look to
you to challenge us as to how EPA and the Federal
Government can assist you to help revitalize local
communities.
Mathy Stanislaus
EPA Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
Prepared under:
Contract No. EP-W-07-023
Prepared or:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Oce o Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Oce o Brownelds and Land Revitalization
Washington, D.C. 20460
In 1998, EPA awarded its rst BrowneldsJob Training grants. JFYNetWorks in Boston,Massachusetts, used this unding to traincommunity members to become environmentaltechnicians.
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Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Section 1: Successul Brownelds Redevelopment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
EPA Brownelds Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Engaging Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Enhancing Sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Community Benets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Health and Environmental Benets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Economic Benets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Capacity Building Benets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Neighborhood Benets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Section 2: Brownelds Reuse Creates Community Benets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Agriculture and Food System Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Arts and Culture Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Housing and Mixed Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Community and Civic Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Section 3: Summary and Looking Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Reerences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Table of Contents
B U I L D I N G V I B R A N T C O M M U N I T I E S :C o m m u n i t y B e n e f i t s o f L a n d R e v i t a l i z a t i o n
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Brownelds revitalization has been successulnot
just at individual properties, but block-by-block and
beyond. There are hundreds o examples where the
clearing o environmental concerns at one distressedproperty paved the way or the property to return to
productive reuse. We see dozens o examples where
blight is reversed with regenerationwhere one
propertys reuse spurs community-wide revitalization.
Sidewalks and streets are improved. Trees and fowers
are planted. New lighting is installed. A community
center gets reurbished. Businesses and residents
return to the area. The ripple eects can spread
through the communityear and crime rates all,
access to services and healthcare improves, property
values increase, a tax base is restored.
What is it that distinguishes one property cleanup
and reuse success rom another, and what stimulates
change well beyond its original property lines?
What creates a saer environment and an economic
resurgence while creating a healthier and more
sustainable community? Answering those questions is
the next part o the brownelds experiment. Will you
be one o the next generation o browneld leaders?
We hope this report motivates and inspires citizens,
developers, urban planners, non-governmental
organization (NGO) leaders, academics, policy
makers, business owners, and community
development, environmental, and health ocials
to explore the possibilities. This report highlights
the important, yet sometimes less tangible benets
that brownelds redevelopment can bring to your
community.
Introduction
An abandoned actory, a boarded up corner gas
station, a run down mill. In communities across the
country, we see brownelds o every shape and size.
It is hard to miss the grati-laced walls, the brokenwindows, the caved in roos. It is equally hard to
dismiss the unknown environmental contaminants
and health hazards brownelds can pose.
Degradation oten spreads beyond the boundary o
one property to blight an entire neighborhood or
community. Surrounding streets become stagnant
and unsae. Concerns about saety and crime
rates increase. Residents and businesses move
out. Property values decline. Retirees, residents,
business owners, and employees that remain behind
may need to go urther to access goods or services.
The inspiration and creativity that ormed the
neighborhoods original vibrancy can ade away.
Fortunately, more than two decades ago, civic leaders
began working to reclaim their communities. The
nation embarked on an experiment in environmental
protection, involving aspects o environmental justice
and economic development, to address the growing
challenge o cleaning up and revitalizing browneldproperties. Environmental justice advocates and
citizen groups rallied to reverse the decline o
neighborhoods. Cities, states, nonprot organizations
and tribal nations responded, and public and private
developers saw a market opportunity. EPA began a
pilot program to provide seed money to catalyze this
movement, and other ederal agencies retooled their
unding and assistance to aid the cause.
A browneld is a grainof sand around which
the pearl of
community develops.
Clark Henry Brownelds Coordinator,City o Portland, Oregon
Redevelopment is underway at Portland,Oregons South Waterront
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Join those communities that have reinvigorated
their land and built vibrant, healthy, sustainable
communities.
Introduction continued...
This report provides only a small sampling o the
many browneld community collaborations
through case studies and several anecdotal stories
as well as photos and external researchto give you
a sense o what is possible. We provide resource
links and inormation about innovative partnerships
to spur your imagination.
Participateinacommunitygarden
Volunteerwithalocalorganization
Improveyourhomescurbappeal
Startanewbusiness
Supportyourlocalfarmersmarket
Meetyourneighbors
Organizesocialactivitiesonyourstreet
Attendcommunityeventsandmeetings
Walktoyourlocalpark
Usepublictransportation
Celebrateyourcommunityshistory
Workwithcommunityleadersona
blighted property
Speakupforyourneighborhood
Saveahistoricbuilding
Helptocreatecommunitygreenspace
Participateinculturalactivities
Supportactivitiesatlocalschools
In addition to supporting and becoming involved in brownfelds revitalization, you can
strengthen your community right now by doing the ollowing:
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As shown in Figure 1, approximately 2,500 grants
have been awarded across the country since 1995.
In addition, these grants total more than $600million in direct unding to communities, enabling
these communities to leverage an additional $12
billion rom other sources to assess, clean up and
reuse brownelds.
In addition to the unding and support provided
by EPAs Brownelds Program, there are numerous
state, tribal, local, private and nonprot partners
that provide unding and technical support to assess,
clean up and revitalize browneld properties.
Browneld properties are diverse. They come in all
sizesrom a raction o an acre to hundreds o
acres. They are located in urban, suburban and rurallocations. Some properties may have little to no
contamination, while others require cleanup to ensure
protection o the community and environmental
health. Contamination at these propertieswhether
perceived or actualcan cause them to lay idle,
underused, abandoned or vacant; this can lead
to blight and disinvestment in neighborhoods or
communities.
This section provides a brie overview o the U.S.
EPAs Oce o Brownelds and Land Revitalization(OBLR) Brownelds Program and the broader
community benets that can occur rom brownelds
revitalization. This section also highlights the
importance o community involvement and
incorporating elements o sustainability to ensure
these broader community benets.
EPA Brownelds Program
In many cases, browneld properties remain vacant
or idle because o a lack o unding to assess or
clean up the property. In response, EPAs OBLR
provides grants to communities, states and tribes to
assess and clean up brownelds. OBLR also provides
grants to train local residents in the technical skills
necessary to become environmental proessionals
that obtain jobs in local brownelds redevelopment
projects near them.
1. Successful Brownelds RedevelopmentA brownfeld is a property aected by realor perceived contamination that inhibitsredevelopment.
Land revitalization reers to the processo assessing a property or contamination,cleaning up contamination (i ound), andreturning the property to productive use.
Figure 1: Since 1995, the number o Browneldsgrants awarded yearly has increased tenold.1
EPA Brownfelds Program Grants
EPAs Brownfelds Program has enabled:
Assessmentofmorethan14,000properties
Cleanupofnearly400propertiesCreationofmorethan54,000jobs
Employmentof3,300JobTraininggraduates2
Data current as o 8/24/2009
Grants
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
Grants
Funding($M ill ions)
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
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Engaging Communities
Browneld projects that receive government unding
require public notice and community involvement.
These communities reach out to and involve
stakeholders beore, during and ater receivingunding to ensure success. Community members and
local stakeholders can learn, share inormation and
shape brownelds cleanup and redevelopment while
also ostering a new generation o community leaders.
By creating a dialogue among all stakeholders in
a brownelds project, community engagement
enhances the nal reuse o the property and the
long-term success o the project. Individuals and
organizations also build lasting working relationships
and stronger community ties. EPA also recognizes
that community engagement is a vital process to help
alleviate environmental justice concerns or citizens
in economically disadvantaged areas and give them a
voice in their communitys uture.
Early community engagement may also identiy
reuses preerred by local stakeholders to ll key
market gaps or provide needed services. For example,
residents may identiy vital, but overlooked, services
in the communitysuch as a ull service grocerystore, park, bank, senior housing or pharmacy that
may not otherwise be developed.
Successul community engagement results in
stakeholders identiying new ideas that gain
community support, minimize confict and reduce
delays in project completion. All these actors can
save time and money or the property owner and
developer, and assure the long-term success o the
project or the entire community.
Working together, brownelds revitalization partners
across the country have made a substantial impact
in terms o dollars invested and leveraged, propertiescleaned up and jobs created.
In addition to these measures o success, a variety o
broader community belies have been realized. Oten,
these benets are linked to brownelds revitalization
projects that successully engage participation o
the community beore and during the redevelopment
process.
Figure 2: As more brownelds are redeveloped,more jobs are created or the community.3
EPA Brownfelds Grants
Leverage Jobs and Funding
It offers a sense ofcommunity pride...if people feel they
have some input andcontrol in a project
like this, that isplanting a seed for
ownership in the future.
Tito Molino West End CommunityDevelopment Council,
Bridgeport, Connecticut
As shown in Figure 2, the EPA Brownelds Program
and its partners have leveraged almost $12 billion
and created 54,000 jobs.
Jobs
Funding
($Millions)0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
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Participating in the local decisionmaking process
empowers and inspires residents to continue
their public participation and address issues in
their community beyond the original brownelds
project. A communitys youth is oten a huge
source o untapped creativity that may provide aresh perspective on ways to address brownelds.
For example, the Girl Scouts o Nassau County,
New York developed the Brownelds Buster patch,
which is earned by learning about brownelds in the
community and suggesting ideas or redevelopment.
Youth involvement and engagement can also create a
new generation o community leaders.
The brownelds redevelopment process allows public,
community and private sector stakeholders to orge
new partnerships, and access new resources to
support their project. This builds civic capacity and
helps strengthen bonds among neighbors, creating a
more tightly knit community.
This increased civic capacity provides the
groundwork or uture neighborhood collaborationand revitalization o the community. Learning about
and participating in local decision making can
inspire residents to remain engaged and address
other important issues in their community.
The ollowing case study o Market Creek Plaza in
San Diego, Caliornia highlights a highly innovative
community engagement process that included a
community development initial public oering.
U.S. EPA CARE Program
EPAs CARE Program helps todevelop community based solutions
to environmental issues. CARE grantrecipients engage all members o thecommunity and create local partnershipsto access a broad range o viewpoints andservices so that the entire communitydecides how best to deal with itsenvironmental issues. Find out more atwww.epa.gov/care.
Through the CARE Program in Marquette,Michigan, volunteers collect e-waste to preventimproper disposal or dumping
Community engagement experts recommend
that the process:
Includethepromisethatthepublicscontribution will infuence the decision
Communicatetheinterestsandmeetstheprocess needs o all participants
Seekoutandfacilitatetheinvolvementofthose potentially aected
InvolveparticipantsindeninghowtheyparticipateProvideparticipantswiththeinformationtheyneed
to participate in a meaningul wayCommunicatetoparticipantshowtheirinput
aected the decision4
The more people and viewpoints represented in thebrownelds redevelopment process, the more inormationcommunities have to identiy the best property reuse. Ata Greensburg, Kansas, design charrette, residents worktogether to develop a site plan.
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In an area once known as the Four
Corners o Death in the distressedDiamond Neighborhoods o SanDiego, Caliornia, an abandonedaerospace actory was transormedinto a community hub called MarketCreek Plaza. This mixed use centerhas become a community ocal point,incorporating cultural traditions, artsand entertainmentwith a grocery store,restaurants, retail shops and essentialservices.
A major component o the projectssuccess was its in-depth community
engagement process. Resident workingteams partnered with the Jacobs Centeror Neighborhood Innovation to plan,design, build, lease and now own andoperate the Plaza. Planning began with800 neighborhood surveys, numerousliving room meetings, and severalcommunity orums to assess what thecommunity needed. Top on the list wasa major chain grocery store, ollowed byrestaurants, entertainment and living-wage jobs.
Local residents participated in eight
working teams to infuence all elementso the project, rom community outreachto building design. Residents were incharge o developing and implementingoutreach and communication strategies.This helped build capacity amongresident leaders as they mobilized thelarger community to participate in theprocess.
The Community-Development Initial
Public Oering (CD-IPO) was launched in2006, making it possible or communityresidents to purchase ownership shares inMarket Creek Partners, LLC. To date, thecommunity owns 40 percent o MarketCreek Partners, LLC; the ultimate goal isor 100 percent community ownershipo this project. Owning a part o thisinnovative project generated a sense opride and accomplishment throughout thecommunity.
The reuse o this browneld strengthenedcommunity ties and established Market
Creek Plaza as a community gatheringplace where neighbors can meet and enjoythe ruits o their labor. Market Creek Plazais now a catalyst or local involvement andother redevelopment projects. This processserves as a model or other communitiesand demonstrates the value o partnershipand the power o eliminating blight totransorm a neighborhood.
Case Study: Market Creek Plaza - San Diego, CANeighborhood group develops model for community ownership of neighborhood assets
Benefts
Involved3,000adultsand youth and eightdesign teams in theplanning process
Filledcultural,retailandgrocery market gaps
Awarded$7.9milliondollars in contracts tominority- or women-owned businesses
415communitymembers andorganizations now own apart o the development
Created200newjobs;70 percent o them lledby residents
Restored1,400lineareet o wetlands
Generated$42millionin economic activity in2008
Paidafull10percentannual return to DiamondCommunity Investors in2007 and 2008
For more inormation about the JacobsCenter or Neighborhood Innovation, visitwww.jacobscenter.org, and or moreinormation about the project, go to www.marketcreekplaza.com.
To nd tools or public involvement,visit www.epa.gov/publicinvovlement/Involvement.htm.
Neighbors attend a Market Creekplanning meeting
http://www.jacobscenter.org/http://www.marketcreekplaza.com/http://www.marketcreekplaza.com/http://www.epa.gov/publicinvovlement/Involvement.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/publicinvovlement/Involvement.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/publicinvovlement/Involvement.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/publicinvovlement/Involvement.htmhttp://www.marketcreekplaza.com/http://www.marketcreekplaza.com/http://www.jacobscenter.org/8/3/2019 Building Vibrant Communities: Community Benefits of Land Revitalization
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Enhancing Sustainability
EPA supports innovative projects that incorporate
sustainability into brownelds cleanup and
redevelopment. Sustainability is oten dened
as meeting the needs o the present withoutcompromising the ability o uture generations to
meet their own needs.5 However, since the late
1980s, human resource use has exceeded the earths
capacity to regenerate those resources.6 This means
that globally, we are compromising the ability o
uture generations to meet their needs.
To reverse this trend and live sustainably, we must
reduce our impact on the environment, even as
we improve our social and economic conditions.
While this may be challenging, it is helpul to
think o sustainability as a process and not as an
endpoint. Many individual decisions to enhance
sustainability will combine to reduce our impact on
the environment and benet the entire community.
The case studies presented throughout this report
highlight sustainable eatures incorporated into each
propertys redevelopment.
Cleaning up and revitalizing brownelds inherently
enhances sustainability. Through browneldsrevitalization, property that was once contaminated
is cleaned up. Property that was previously
underutilized due to the perception or existence
o contamination is restored to a higher and better
use. And greenelds that may otherwise havebeen developed are let untouched. There are also
approaches that can be integrated into brownelds
revitalization to improve sustainability.
Many brownelds partners and other organizations
provide technical assistance and guidelines to
promote more sustainable designs and eatures
into redevelopment projects. For example, the
Sustainable Sites Initiative is a joint eort by
the American Society o Landscape Architects,
the Lady Bird Johnson Wildfower Center and the
United States Botanic Garden that establishes a
set o guiding principles or sustainability.7 This
ramework helps to show sustainability as a process
or enhancing human welare while reducing harmul
eects to the environment.
Many communities across the country revitalize
brownelds to remove environmental contamination
and contribute to long-term sustainability. Some
communities have made their cleanup process moresustainable by reusing and recycling construction
At community gardens across the country, raincatchers improve stormwater managementand double as public art. At one communitygarden, children help to install a rain catchmentstructure.
Photo courtesy o Ashley Kyber
For more inormation on the SustainableSites Initiative, please go to their Web siteat www.sustainablesites.org.
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Reusing existing buildings, inrastructure, xtures
and equipment
Using renewable and recyclable construction
materials
Building new structures or retrotting existing
structures to be energy and water ecient,such as those that are Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) or ENERGY
STAR certied
Integrating green roos
Improving stormwater management through green
inrastructure
Integrating native landscaping
Utilizing the property or environmentally
ocused reuses such as transportation oriented
development, renewable energy generation,
wetlands preservation or organic arming
and demolition materials, while others make the
propertys reuse sustainable by constructing green,
energy ecient buildings. In 2008, EPA initiated
16 Brownelds Sustainability Pilots to explore ways
to enhance sustainability by providing technical
assistance or achieving greener assessment,cleanup and redevelopment approaches to these 16
communities across the country.
There are many ways to enhance sustainability during
the browneld revitalization process:
Green remediation practices that maximize the
net environmental benet o the cleanup
Comprehensive site planning that considers the
best use or the property, given its location and
conditionRecycling construction and demolition debris
EPA Brownfelds Sustainability Pilot Profle:
Houston, Texas - Solar Energy and Green Jobs
The City o Houstons EPA Sustainability Pilot helpedthe city transorm a ormer 300-acre landll into asolar power arm. Not only will this transormationremove blight in a neighborhood just 10 minutesrom downtown Houston, it will revitalize the area,
meet a portion o the citys electrical needs, andbring new green jobs. EPA provided a technical,regulatory, and nancial analysis o this plannedproject, which showed the solar arm to be technicallyand environmentally easible. This analysis will helpHouston make the landll redevelopment project assustainable as possible when creating and operatingthe renewable energy acility. To see how thesepractices can be translated to your community, visit
www.epa.gov/brownelds/sustain_plts/index.htm.
Did you know?
Greenelds and undeveloped land serveas a carbon sink, osetting more than 10percent o our nations greenhouse gasemissions. Protecting these areas throughbrownelds redevelopment is critical oraddressing and responding to climatechange.8
The proposed solar armPhoto rom Google maps
Built on a ormer browneld in Newark,Caliornia, Ohlone College Newark Centeror Health Sciences and Technology usessustainable elements such as photovoltaic solarpanels, geothermal heating and cooling, andrecycled materials in its eco-riendly campus
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Community Benets
As a browneld is revitalized, a variety o benets
can be realized throughout a community. A ripple
eect can occur that brings community benets
or health, the environment, the local economy, acommunitys civic capacity, neighborhood identity,
and neighborhood inrastructure. Figure 3 shows
how the ripple eect rom browneld revitalization
becomes a catalyst to spread community benets
beyond the original cleanup and property.
Figure 3: The ripple eect o brownelds investment: Communities use brownelds unding to assess andclean up their properties i needed. Through the propertys revitalization, jobs may be created, contaminationmay be reduced, blight may be removed, surrounding property values may increase. This may cause a rippleeect o additional community benets.
Community Benefts o Brownfeld Revitalization: A Ripple Eect
In St. Paul, Minnesota, the immigrant Hmongcommunity celebrates the groundbreaking o aHmong uneral home on a ormer browneld.A uneral is one o the most sacred traditionalrites in Hmong culture, and this redevelopmentproject provides the community a place to honorits culture and heritage.
To go fast, go alone.To go far, go together.
Arican Proverb
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trees can reduce energy demand and heat island
eects while improving stormwater management
and reducing certain air pollutants.
Usingsustainableconstructiontechniques,
equipment or materials to reduce material
consumption, water and energy use also improves
the communitys environmental health.
Healthcanbeimprovedifawalkingtrail,
supermarket or community health clinic is located
on a ormer browneld site; this can improve
access to exercise, resh ood or health care and
services that may not have previously existed.
Turningaformerbrowneldintosomeformof
greenspacesuch as restored habitat, wetlands,
parks, orests or trailscan improve the aestheticso the area as well as physical and mental health.
Residents can have a place or physical movement
and access to nature, which provides them with
physical and mental health benets.
Planting gardens provides access to healthy
ood and reduces stress as they provide a calm,
restorative eeling shown to improve health.11
These less tangible quality o lie characteristics
are oten what dene a community as a great
place to live. Planting trees can improve the eel o
communities while absorbing and sequestering
carbon, regulating temperature, and absorbing rain
or snow to reduce runo.12 Trees provide shade or
buildings during the summer, which can reduce
energy bills by 15 to 35 percent compared to
streets that are not shaded.13
Cleaning up a contaminated site reduces exposure
to contaminants not just onsite, but also osite by
halting the migration o contamination into nearby
air, soil and water. To date, nearly 400 properties
have been cleaned up using EPA Brownelds unding,
helping to improve the health o the surrounding
communities and environment.9 The ollowing
highlights the many health and environmental
benets that are associated with brownelds projects:
Exposure to contamination is reduced oreliminated.
Browneldsreuseisa provensmart growth
approach that has been linked with a reduction in
vehicle miles traveled which in turn improves air
quality and reduces associated health risks such
as asthma.10 Reusing a browneld in an area with
existing development can enhance neighborhood
walkability by providing additional services close
to other amenities.
Reusingbrowneldpropertyalsoeases
development pressure on greenfelds, which are
critical or maintaining healthy watersheds and
providing orestry products.
Pedestrian-friendlydevelopmentsprovide places
or residents to interact, enjoy the outdoors and
exercise.
Sustainableredevelopmentprojectsthatincludea
green building, permeable pavement, or additional
From brownelds to soccer elds - Atlantayouth have a new place to exercise. Photo ater(above) and beore (below) redevelopment.
Health andEnvironmental Benefts
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Brownelds cleanup and redevelopment is a primary
driver or attracting investment and business to
communities that may otherwise be overlooked. With
environmental uncertainties addressed, property
owners ace reduced liability and new incentives
or property redevelopment. The successul
transormation o one property may encourage
interest and development in the surrounding area.
Brownelds redevelopment also demonstrates
signicant potential to generate new green jobs orenvironmental proessionals who assess and clean up
properties. EPAs investment in communities through
its Brownelds grants helped to leverage more than
54,000 jobs related to property assessment, cleanup
and reuse.14 The ollowing highlights many o the
other economic benets associated with brownelds
projects:
Sometypesofbrowneldreusecancreate jobs
that increase local income and decrease poverty
rates in the surrounding area, thus providingnancial stability to residents. For example,
the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Redevelopment
Authority used its EPA Brownelds Assessment
grant to transorm a ormer automotive part store
into a bioscience acility, creating 27 new well-
paying jobs. Johnstown has been successul in
transorming additional neighboring properties into
productive reuses, restoring an entire area and
bringing clean industry and jobs back to the city.
Green jobs are positions in agriculture,manuacturing, research and development,administrative, and service activities aimedat alleviating the myriad environmentalthreats aced by humanity.16 Jobs
associated with browneld revitalization(e.g., assessment and/or cleanup) areconsidered green jobs, as are the jobscreated through the sites reuse i they areaimed at addressing environmental threats.
Residents participate in a Winston-Salem, NorthCarolina Job Training Program unded by an EPABrownelds grant
Photo courtesy o Tim Brinkley
Certaintypesofbrowneldreusecanalsocreate
green jobs. Architecture, design, engineering,
construction, agriculture-related, renewable
energy manuacturing, environmental services and
consulting, and energy eciency companies that
locate on a ormer browneld can all provide greenjobs.
Alltypesofnew jobs create a multiplier eect:
workers spend more money in the area in which
they work, urther boosting the local economy.
In addition, numerous studies have shown the
direct link between property improvement and the
increase in surrounding property values.15 Those
who have been invested in the neighborhood or
years can benet as their homes and businesses
increase in value. As property values and incomesincrease, the local tax base likewise increases,
potentially translating into improved services or
the community.
Economic Benefts
Capacity BuildingBenefts
Enhancing the capacity building o individuals and
public, nonprot and private organizations provides
long-term benets to the community beyond a single
browneld project. Improving social connectivity
gives neighbors the chance to get to know one
another and lays the oundation or uture local
collaboration. Many o these benets have already
been described on pages two through our o this
report. Other benets include:
Opportunitiestooster environmental justice
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The redevelopment o a single browneld property
may be what a community needs to revitalize an
entire neighborhood. Physical improvements to a
redeveloped browneld property can help redene a
neighborhood and re-establish a sense o place. In
some cases, brownelds redevelopment can prompt
neighbors to improve their properties and create a
positive ripple eect throughout community. Other
neighborhood benets include:
Providing market-rate and/or aordable housing
is crucial to ensuring a stable, healthy and
accessible community. Brownelds redevelopment
has been linked with increased rates o home
ownership, which has, in turn, been linked to an
increase in characteristics such as educational
by leveraging new investment and jobs in
distressed communities. It also improves the local
environment and provides a stronger degree o
protection rom environmental and health hazards.
Somebrowneldsredevelopmentscanprovide
opportunities or enhanced education. In Shelby,
Montana, a Brownelds Cleanup grant will allow
a ormer high school to be redeveloped as a
community center, giving residents a place or
social interaction and education. The basement
o the building will also serve as a Head Start
and alternative adult education acility to serve a
wide range o educational needs. Those who are
educated and better inormed are then able to
contribute back to their community.
Community capacity building provides anopportunity or all people, regardless oculture or income, to have equal accessto the decision making process.
Engaged communities build the socialcapital to:ReducecrimeImprovepublichealthImproveeducationalopportunitiesPromoteprosperityandeconomic
growth17
Neighborhood Benefts
Greensburg, Kansas: Linking Disaster Recovery
and Sustainable Planning
The City o Greensburg, Kansas (population 1,500) andKiowa County were destroyed by a tornado in 2007. Sincethis tragedy, the state and local government are rebuildinga more sustainable uture or the community. As thecommunity is being reconstructed as a LEED PlatinumCity, the entire neighborhood is being revitalized. Learningrom this example, other communities are linking disasterrecovery eorts with the need to create more sustainablecommunities, including several in Iowa and others in Texasimpacted by fooding, hurricanes and extreme weatherevents.
achievement, civic participation and well-being.
Brownelds oten provide ideal locations to
integrate housing options close to other services,
which helps reduce vacancies, improve health and
strengthen neighborhoods. Redevelopment also
provides housing opportunities or those providinglocal goods or services such as teachers, police
ocers or nurses.
Residential development that is coupled with
public open spaces (e.g., parks, plazas) provides
an opportunity or residents to socialize and share
inormation and learn about their community.
Simple landscape and building improvements
beautiy a neighborhood, generate resident pride
and make it a more attractive destination or
activity and entertainment.
Decreasing blight and increasing social
connections can help improve community saety;
there are ewer abandoned buildings where crime
can take place and there is more monitoring by
those who eel connected to and invested in their
neighborhood.In Greensburg, Kansas, residents plan theirnew green city ater it was destroyed by atornado
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The rising environmental movement in the 1960s
and 1970s saw the beginnings o small localized
eorts to promote healthy, sustainable, locally grownand organic oods. Many people rediscovered the
environmental benets o smaller sustainable arms,
organic arming and local gardens. The recent energy
crises also highlight the connection between ood
prices and uel prices because o the ertilizers,
pesticides, energy intensive arm equipment, and
ood transportation system needed to support large-
scale agriculture. Todays agriculture and ood system
accounts or approximately 19 percent o all ossil
energy used in the United States.18
The growing awareness o sustainability and healthier
oods has piqued public interest and created a desire
to integrate ood systems and agriculture back into
local communities. This interest is refected in the
rising demand or land in urban areas to support local
ood production, community supported agriculture
(CSA) and armers markets. This movement to
support and strengthen local arms and reintroduce
ood production into neighborhoods provides
increased demand or land near populated areas.Brownelds redevelopment is a prime opportunity to
support agriculture and ood systems because many
brownelds are small parcels o land within urban
areas that can be used as community ood or fower
gardens, urban arms and armers markets.
The need or locally produced ood may be
particularly pressing in ood deserts, where
physical or economic barriers prevent access to
healthy ood.20 In these areas, there are oten no
ull service grocery stores and ew healthy ood
Turning an underused property into a community
asset creates a range o health, environmental and
economic benets.
This section o the report highlights our major
browneld reuse themes that provide widespread
benets to communities. These our categories are:
agriculture and ood system uses, arts and culture
uses, housing and mixed uses, and community and
civic uses. Case studies or each o these reuses
illustrate many o the community benets, and
examples o organizations or resources that can
enhance brownelds cleanup and revitalization
projects are also highlighted.
Agriculture and FoodSystem Uses
Perhaps nothing connects us more to our local
environment, the seasons and our community than
the ood we prepare and eat daily. Agriculture and
ood systems have long played a dominant role in
shaping our economy, job opportunities, energy use
and where we live.
The emergence o an industrial and manuacturing
economy caused dramatic demographic shits as jobs
were created in urban areas. During the post World
War II economic boom, the number o smaller arms
declined greatly as large-scale industrial agricultural
met an increasing demand to boost crop yields or
expanding domestic and export markets.
2. Brownelds Reuse Creates Community BenetsEPA Brownfelds-unded agriculture
projects include:
Bellow Falls, VT, Farmers Market
Glens Falls, NY, Farmers MarketNew Britain, CT, Urban FarmSacramento, CA, Community GardenSaginaw, MI, Farmers Market
Farmers Market in Bellows Falls, Vermont
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Farming helped turn vacant land into gardens. Ater
testing the soil to ensure there was no contamination,
the Linwood and Gladstone Garden, one o the
largest community gardens in the city, was planted
and is maintained by local volunteers to provide ree
vegetables to community members and local oodbanks.
There are countless additional examples throughout
the country o reusing properties to grow and provide
better access or residents to acquire ood locally.
Another example, Plant a Row or the Hungry,22
is one o many eorts to enlist home gardeners in
growing additional vegetables or donation to the local
ood bank.
While not every property may be suitable or an
agricultural or ood systems reuse, many smallurban parcels can serve as community ood or fower
gardens, urban arms, armers markets, and provide
additional environmental benets. The ollowing case
studies illustrate that brownelds can help improve
the health o a community.
choices available to residents. Figure 4 tracks EPA
Brownelds, Superund, Resources Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Landll Methane
Outreach Program sites against ood deserts in the
City o Baltimore that could be potentially used or
ood production projects. Several EPA Browneldsgrantees used grant monies to assess and clean up
properties or use as armers markets or community
gardens.
Across the country, there are many organizations
working to provide access to locally grown ood.
In Detroit, Michigan, an organization called Urban
Did you know?
Food transportation costs add $113billion to the cost o U.S. ood.
120 million tons o carbon dioxide are
emitted rom transportation o U.S. oodannually.19
Developing local ood, including thoseon ormer brownelds, reduces theenvironmental impacts rom longdistance transportation o ood.
All projects involving ood production and gardeningshould conduct Phase I environmental site assessments,soil sampling, and testing beore planting. Tests or pH,organic content and key nutrients are needed as wellas potential environmental contaminants. Alternatively,urban and browneld gardeners may wish to grow aboveground hydroponically or in greenhouses.
It is important to ensure that soils are not only sae,but adequate or growing. Soils can be reconditionedor ood production through the addition o organicmaterials, lea mulch, or ood waste compost to increasewater absorption or better stormwater management soilbiodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Soil Sampling is Critical in Food Production Projects
Figure 4: In Baltimore, Maryland, many EPA-tracked sites are located in or nearby ood deserts.Redeveloping these sites or a ood production or
sale may allieviate ood desert conditions.21
EPA-Tracked Sites Present Opportunities
to Address Food Deserts
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Food Deserts*
Unpopulated Areas and Parks
! EPA-Tracked Sites
Major Highways0 1 2 3 40.5
Miles
I-83
I-95
895
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Shopping at Urban Oaks is asocial thing. Urban Oaks is likea scene from decades ago, thecustomers know all the farmers,
everyone greets each other, andthe food is fresh and chemical
freebesides, I like supportingthe local economy.
Local resident and
patron o Urban Oaks
The City o New Britain, Connecticut,laid the oundation or transormingone o its poorest, most dangerousneighborhoods by revitalizing abrowneld as an urban arm andcommunity garden. Urban OaksOrganic Farm, one o the rst urbanorganic arms in the United Statesand the largest urban organic arm inthe Northeast, was developed in theviolent crime-ridden North Oak StreetNeighborhood.
In 1997, an EPA BrowneldsAssessment grant and an EPA Cleanupgrant in 2003 provided the initialnancial backing to assess and clean
up the three-acre urban browneldproperty. In addition to the EPAunding, the project used unds romthe U.S. Department o Housing andUrban Development, the ConnecticutDepartment o Economic andCommunity Development, the City oNew Britain, and local oundations.
The arm serves as a source oemployment or the local communitymany o the arms six ull-time andten part-time employees are residentsin the North Oak Street neighborhood.Additionally, each summer, Urban Oaksinvites 10 local teenagers to participatein a 10-week, paid position that oershands-on organic and sustainablearming educational training. The armprovides ongoing education or residentsand school groups in organic gardeningmethods, sustainable agriculture, non-toxic arming techniques, composting,and other environmentally-riendlyarming techniques.
To put this knowledge to practical use,Urban Oaks created a one-acre, 30-plotneighborhood garden where gardening
space, tools, seeds, water andtechnical assistance are all providedat no cost to gardeners. Theseactivities provide unique educationalopportunities or underserved innercity residents to learn about armingand gardening techniques.
New Britain Chie o Police andlie-long resident, William Gagliardi,explained that, prior to the cleanupand redevelopment o the urbanbrownelds located within the NorthOak Street neighborhood, violentcrime was at an all time high, the area
had more gangs per capita then anywhere else in U.S. Many long-timeresidents let the neighborhoodwhile others stayed locked in theirhouses. Today, the gang problemhas been greatly reducedviolentcrime is approaching zero percent,while overall crime has been reducedby 25 to 33 percentwhich hasgreatly changed the character othe neighborhood. Folk who let theneighborhood are moving back andnew people are moving in, residentseel sae walking to Urban Oaks or to
Benefts Cleanedupathree-acre
urban browneld
Provideswalkingaccessto aordable, locallygrown organic produce
Provideshands-onagricultural trainingand education to localyouth allowing them toconnect with the land
Catalyzedneighborhoodredevelopment toreduce crime rates
Providesasafecommunity gatheringspace that improvessocial connectivity
Case Study: Urban Oaks Organic Farm - New Britain, CTUrban farm helps to create a safe, livable community
visit a neighbor. This multi-yearbrownelds revitalization projecthelped restore the abric o the cityand improve local saety.
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Benefts Cleanedupaone-acre
browneld
Providedaccessto
resh, local, andaordable produce andplants to low-incomecommunity
Providededucationopportunities onsustainable agriculture
Demonstratedenvironmentalstewardship in businessmanagement practices
Case Study: Greensgrow Farm - Philadelphia, PAAn urban brownfeld grows green
Established in 1997, Greensgrowopened on a ormer industrial lotin a Philadelphia, Pennyslvania,neighborhood, which is a mixed useresidential-commercial-industrial area.Greensgrow operates on the one-acrebrowneld site as a hydroponic garden,starting with growing lettuce orrestaurants. Greensgrow has blossomedin the 12 years since its conception,with the property now hosting raisedbeds o organic soil lled withnumerous vegetable and herb plants,a arm stand and a nursery. Shopperscan pick up peppers, squash, gs,eggplants, lettuce, tomatoes and manykinds o herbs just to name a ew.
In the 1980s, a ormer steel galvanizingplant closed, leaving behind signicantsoil contamination and health concernsin the community. In 1993, the EPASuperund program stepped in toaddress the property. The building andcontaminated soils were removed romthe property, leaving only the concreteslab oundation. Greensgrow selectedhydroponic gardens help to protecthuman health and the environmentand preserve the concrete slaboundation site cap. Once the localCommunity Development Corporationbought the property, they rented it toGreensgrow or $150 a month, a rentthey still pay each month. This lowrent shows the commitment to providenecessary benecial services to thesurrounding low-income Kensingtoncommunity. Now with more than10 employees and volunteers at theproperty, Greensgrow continues to reachmore people in the community, as wellas the Philadelphia region.
Local residents are able to walk tothe garden to purchase resh andlocally grown produce and plants,creating a true community eel ina space which was once tainted byindustrial uses. Greensgrow achievedtheir mission o connecting cityresidents with better ood optionsthat are easily accessible and grownlocally. Greensgrow not only grows itsown vegetables and herbs onsite, butalso oers venues or the productsrom other local growers. Additionally,a nursery on the property oers a
wide range o plants and seedlingsand their beehives produce reshhoney or consumers. WhileGreensgrow oers a wide selectiono products onsite or communitymembers, some o the resh, locallygrown produce also is delivered tolocal Philadelphia restaurants.
As the garden has grown over theyears, so has its oerings onsite.The sta oers special educationalsessions to teach about many aspects
o gardening including compostinglessons, bee-keeping, organicgardening and green roos. The stasmost recent endeavor was to startmaking biodiesel uel out o old ryingoil retrieved rom their local restaurantcustomers during produce deliveries.
It is one of the ironies ofurban agricultural developmentthat these former industrialsites, often called brownelds
are in fact some of the bestchoices for locating a newurban agricultural business.
www.greensgrow.org
Flowers or sale at Greensgrow Farm
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Community or neighborhood gardens
have been shown to help reverse
urban decline by:
Increasing occupancy ratesIncreasing incomeDecreasing poverty rates 30
Improved Community Space
Gardens and armers markets provide communitygathering spaces and are local economic engines,
allowing residents to interact and enjoy theirneighborhood, while also helping support local
armers and the local economy. Communitiesinterested in starting a armers market may beeligible or U.S. Department o Agriculture (USDA)
grants to assist eorts. In addition, state legislationto support local agriculture has been proposed in anumber o states to meet market demand. A countyin Iowa has enacted policies to rebate 100 percent oreal property taxes to armers who convert to organicproduction, and to support local and organic ood
purchases in county institutional settings.
Improved Access to Local Gardening
and Food ProductionIncreasing seed sales and membership in gardening
groups signal growing interest in agriculturalactivities.26 Today, 71 percent o Americanhouseholds engage in some type o lawn or gardeningactivity27 and there are an estimated ve millionorganic gardeners.28 Web sites such as Sharing
Backyards link people with unused yard space toindividuals looking or a place to grow ood. Moreinormation can be ound at www.sharingbackyards.
com.
Improved Opportunities to Meet Demand or
Organic Food
Since the late 1990s, U.S. organic production hasmore than doubled, and organic ood sales havemore than quintupled. More than two-thirds o U.S.
consumers buy organic products at least occasionally,and 28 percent buy organic products weekly,according to the Organic Trade Association. Organicproducts are now available in nearly 20,000 naturalood stores and nearly three quarters o conventionalgrocery stores.29 More inormation can be ound at
www.ers.usda.gov/brieng/organic/demand.htm.
Community Benets ofAgriculture and Food System Uses
Improved Access to Nutritious and Healthy Foods
Community gardens allow residents to grow resh, localand oten organic ood, leading to a better diet and
liestyle that can improve public health and reducedisease. Gardening can also increase physical activity,something o great need in a nation where nearly twothirds o urban residents do not have access to a local
park or open space or recreation.23 Lack o access tonutritious and aordable ood is a undamental publichealth and quality o lie issue that can be correctedthrough browneld revitalization.
Increased Home and Property Values
Research in Philadelphia concludes that community
gardens and planting trees can increase or stabilizethe value o neighboring properties or rental income.24
This provides an additional economic incentive orgarden creation and tree planting reuses as well ascreating produce, fowers and greenspace. In St.Louis, Missouri, areas surrounding gardens experienceincreased home values;25 even those who do notdirectly use the property are beneting rom its
eective reuse.
Improved Retail and Small Business Opportunities
In many urban areas across the county, and
particularly in low-income neighborhoods, manystudies conclude that there is a lack o ull-servicegrocery stores with resh ood. Residents in theseneighborhoods are less likely to own a vehicle andmust rely on the ood retail locations that are within
walking distance. Instead, residents oten go toconvenience stores which tend to oer oods o lowerquality and lower nutritional value and oten at higherprices. Brownelds revitalization can play an importantrole in providing viable locations or grocery stores orsmall resh ood markets, lling urban market gaps.
Somerville, Massachusetts, used theirBrownelds Cleanup grant to help create acommunity garden
http://www.sharingbackyards.com/http://www.sharingbackyards.com/http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/organic/demand.htmhttp://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/organic/demand.htmhttp://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/organic/demand.htmhttp://www.sharingbackyards.com/http://www.sharingbackyards.com/8/3/2019 Building Vibrant Communities: Community Benefits of Land Revitalization
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identiy whether individual amilies, the elderlyand communities have access to ood that they canaord. Communities interested in improving oodsecurity in concert with browneld revitalizationeorts can nd inormation at www.ers.usda.gov/
Browse/view.aspx?subject=FoodNutritionAssistance.
Sustainable Food and Agriculture Guidelines
The Eat Well Guide, an online tool developed by theKellogg Foundation and diverse organizations workingto advance sustainable agriculture practices and ood
systems, can be ound at www.eatwellguide.org.
Quantiying the Benefts o Farmers Markets
Communities can quantiy the economic benets otheir armers markets by using a tool called SEED(Sticky Economy Evaluation Device) developed byMarket Umbrella, a New Orleans-based nonprotorganization. SEED and other tools that may be ointerest to communities seeking to expand local oodsystems and support small, local producers can be
accessed at www.marketumbrella.org.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
This program helps low-income people and amiliesbuy the ood they need or good health. More
inormation at www.fns.usda.gov/fsp.
The Johns Hopkins Center or a Livable Future
The Center works to develop and communicateinormation about the interrelationships among diet,ood production, environment and human health.One o the Centers current projects is the creation oa geographic inormation system (GIS) Food SystemMap o Maryland. Additional Resources can be oundat www.jhsph.edu/clf.
Resources*
USDA Assessment and Soil Testing Resources
Communities looking to start community gardens canbenet rom the tools and resources available through
the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education,and Extension Service. It can provide inormationon agriculture, natural resources, community andeconomic development, soil testing services, andcrop recommendations. Find your local oce at www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html.
EPA Targeted Brownfelds Assessment (TBA) Funding
Communities can seek TBA unding and communityBrownelds grants to support property assessmentand cleanup beore gardening or arming. Furtherinormation can be ound at www.epa.gov/
brownelds/tba.htm.
Community Food Assessments (CFAs)
Many urban and rural areas have conducted CFAs todetermine access to healthy and aordable oods. ACFA may prove useul to identiying redevelopmentopportunities in brownelds communities. Tolearn more, visitwww.ers.usda.gov/Publications/
EFAN02013/.
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service administers
several grant programs or local organic initiativesand starting armers markets. Identiy grant
opportunities at www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0.
Food Security Guidelines
Food security and ood insecurity are the termsused to describe a multi-disciplinary approach to
*The resources presented throughout this report are provided to supplement the content o the report. The inormation provided is notmeant to iner or imply any endorsement or sponsorship by EPA. The list o resources is by no means exhaustive, but is intended toprovide urther assistance and inormation to browneld communities.
Lettuce grows in one o the many LynchburgGrows greenhouses
Lynchburg Grows, an urban arm inLynchburg, Virginia, helps to show theimportance o sustainable agriculture anda healthy liestyle. On the arm, successesabound: since 2006, they harvested1,500 pounds o resh produce o which700 pounds was donated to a local soupkitchen; and they have seen annualrevenues increase rom $8,000 in 2004 to$250,000 in 2009.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Browse/view.aspx?subject=FoodNutritionAssistancehttp://www.ers.usda.gov/Browse/view.aspx?subject=FoodNutritionAssistancehttp://www.ers.usda.gov/Browse/view.aspx?subject=FoodNutritionAssistancehttp://www.eatwellguide.org/http://www.marketumbrella.org/http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsphttp://www.jhsph.edu/clfhttp://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.htmlhttp://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.htmlhttp://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/brownfields/tba.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/brownfields/tba.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/brownfields/tba.htmhttp://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EFAN02013/http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EFAN02013/http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EFAN02013/http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EFAN02013/http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EFAN02013/http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/tba.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/brownfields/tba.htmhttp://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.htmlhttp://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.htmlhttp://www.jhsph.edu/clfhttp://www.fns.usda.gov/fsphttp://www.marketumbrella.org/http://www.eatwellguide.org/http://www.ers.usda.gov/Browse/view.aspx?subject=FoodNutritionAssistancehttp://www.ers.usda.gov/Browse/view.aspx?subject=FoodNutritionAssistance8/3/2019 Building Vibrant Communities: Community Benefits of Land Revitalization
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refected in restoring historic properties and
abandoned buildings close to the urban core.
Brownelds redevelopment can provide a prime
opportunity to support and strengthen arts and
cultural activities since many properties are located
within urban areas.
Municipalities across the country have also enacted
ordinances that require a certain percentage o
building costs be used or public art, showing
the important link between incorporating art in
redevelopment projects. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
the rst city to do so, requires that no less than one
percent o a buildings construction budget be used
or art. The City o Philadelphia is also one o the
largest employers o artists, due in part to its mural
arts program which created 2,800 murals on thevacant walls o buildings through the cityenlisting
community arts in the re-envisioning o their
neighborhoods.33
Community-based arts and cultural activities oster
creativity, sel-expression and discovery o dierent
cultures, and a new way o experiencing community
and building social and civic capital. Several
Brownelds grantees have helped preserve historical
properties and prepare them or reuses such as
venues or estivals and perormances, work space
or local artisans, and museums that express and
celebrate a communitys heritage. The ollowing case
studies highlight several browneld communities with
successul arts and cultural development.
Arts and Culture Uses
Arts and culture play an integral part in shaping a
communitys identity. Passed down rom generationto generation, a communitys culture is woven into
its social abric and refected through its stories,
dance, ood, language, literature, art, lm, estival
and religious practices. Cultural locations and historic
buildings serve as places to connect, interact and
refect.
Cities across America are now reexamining and
reinvesting in arts and culture as an additional
strategy to revitalize communities and neighborhoods.
By creating cultural hubs, art businesses are helpingcities redene themselves, draw tourists and attract
public and private investment. In 2008, 81 million
Americans participated in an art or culture event.31
The nonprot arts and culture industry supports
5.7 million U.S. jobs and generates $29.6 billion
in government revenue.32Cultural resources are
considered an important reason why businesses
relocate to new communities, and a presence o
strong arts amenities can help recruit employees.
Communities that recognize the importance o public
art and support their local art and crat community
to create or restore attractive spaces help build
community character and a sense o aesthetic
appreciation.
Increasing interest in revitalizing distressed
communities through arts and culture can be
EPA Brownfelds-unded
arts and culture projects include:
Baltimore, MD, American Visionary Art
MuseumCharlotte, NC, Design CenterLouisville, KY, Arican AmericanHeritage Museum
The Museum o Glass in Tacoma, Washington,was built on a ormer browneld
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Benefts
Assessment o 11acre site revealed nocontamination o concern
Revitalized keyhistoric propertyin a disadvantagedneighborhood as a thriving
community center
Creates a cultural andtourist destination orindividuals interested inlearning more about theUnderground RailroadNetwork
Enhances the St. LouisRiverront Trail and a parkor runners and bikersalong the river
Case Study: Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing - St. Louis, MOCommunity preserves ties to the Underground Railroad
The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossingwas an under-used city-owned property
that was accepted into the National ParkServices Underground Railroad Networkto Freedom Program in 2001. TheMeachum property is the approximategathering point o nine enslaved AricanAmericans seeking reedom by crossingthe Mississippi River rom Missouri toIllinois in 1855. This crossing representsone o several notable escapes throughthe Underground Railroad along theMississippi. As the rst nationallyrecognized Underground Railroad site inMissouri, the area is a major historicaltreasure and source o cultural pride or
the state.
Grace Hill Settlement House inSt. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a2005 EPA CARE grant. Grace Hillsmission is to work in disadvantagedneighborhoods, creating strong, healthy,helpul communities by encouragingand supporting neighbors as they help
themselves and each other. As parto their eorts to improve community
health and wellbeing, they used$50,000 in EPA Targeted BrowneldsAssessment unding to conduct anenvironmental site assessment at theMary Meachum Freedom Crossing inhopes to develop the property into atourist destination. The environmentalsite assessment revealed nosignicant contaminants o concernon the property, allowing developmentplans as a tourist destination with ariverront trail and visitor center tomove orward.
The new Meachum Visitor Centerserves as a community gatheringplace or celebrations and events,and an educational center to learnabout St. Louis unique history. It willalso teach visitors about the historyo the Underground Railroad and thehistoric events that took place at thiscrossing.
Located in North St. Louis Cityalong the Mississippi River on
the Riverront Trail, the propertyencompasses roughly 11 acres. Thisarea provides ample space to developan experience or visitors that evokesthe potential peril o the crossing orthe slaves.
This unique, engaging, communityresource will transorm the riverrontinto a cultural destination and acommunity center, allowing orcommunity engagement, education,interaction, and growth.
To learn more about the
Underground Railroad routes, visitwww.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htm.
The National Park Service is coordinatingthe preservation o Underground Railroadsites across the country to educate thepublic about their signicance. The MaryMeachum Freedom Crossing is a ormer
browneld, and is now recognizedas a major historical treasure.
Brownelds redevelopment helps to honor theimportance o Underground Railroad routes
Underground
Railroad Route
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The small town o Essex,
Massachusetts, located on the EssexRiver, has a population o just aew thousand people. It holds aunique place in maritime history as ashipbuilding hub. By the 1850s, over50 vessels a year were being launchedrom 15 shipyards making Essex,North Americas center or shingschooner construction. One out oevery 28 wooden vessels that few theAmerican fag was built in Essex, andits shipyards probably launched moretwo-masted vessels than any other townin the world. The shipbuilding industry
accounted or most o the small townsrevenue, embedding shipbuildinginto the towns cultural heritage.Eventually, the inability to keep up withtechnological advances in the industrylead to several shipyard closures aroundWorld War II.
In 1976, the Shipbuilding Museumwas opened in conjunction with thetowns celebration o the AmericanBicentennial. The property adjacentto the Shipbuilding Museum had along history o maritime shipbuilding
activities. The ear o contaminantsrom the historic shipbuilding yardleaching into the river basin promptedthe museum to apply or a grant romEPAs Brownelds Program. The EssexHistorical Society and ShipbuildingMuseum (EHSSM), a nonprotorganization, received $133,000 inTargeted Brownelds Assessmentunding and a $200,000 EPABrownelds Cleanup grant in September2005 to address soil contaminationon property it owned. Using the EPAgrant and a $250,000 contribution
rom EHSSM, the cleanup o the
property began in November o 2007;during some o this time portions othe museum were closed. Followingcleanup, the museum reopened onMay 15, 2008.
The museum now receives hundredso visitors annually. The success othe cleanup ollows with the EHSSMsmission o stewardship. The societys520 members believe in preservingthe towns historical industry whileremaining conscious o its ecologicalsurroundings. The reopening o
the museum gave residents andtourists access to the communitysdeep historical roots o shipbuildingculture that once was so prominentin Massachusetts and New Englandand boosted the towns economy byattracting new visitors. The projectssuccess allowed the EHSSM tocontinue to tell the story o the townsimpact on the shipbuilding industryand maritime heritage worldwide.
Find more inormation atwww.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org.
Benefts
Cleanupoflong-timesoilcontamination at historicshipbuilding property
Projectsuccessallowedthe EHSSM to continue totell the story o the townsimpact on the shipbuilding
industry and maritimeheritage worldwide
Themuseumeducateshundreds o visitors per year
Stewardshipandoutreachactivities are conducted inthe community
Case Study: Essex Historical Society andShipbuilding Museum - Essex, MAEssex celebrates its history as an important center for shipbuilding
Photo courtesy o Len Burgess
The greatest benet is a stepin stewardship of the historicshipbuilding site. Stewardship,being a large part of the
[EHSSMs] mission, having thesite be cleaned for visitors andnot pose a threat to ecologicalhabitat is a very good thing tohave done.
David Brown EssexHistorical Society
Essex, Massachusetts, celebrates itsshipbuilding history through browneldsrevitalization
Photo by Anthony Aneese Totah Jr
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Benefts
Contribute $3 million peryear to the Durango/LaPlata County economy
Purchase 100 percentgreen power to operatethe acility
Educate approximately65,000 visitors annuallyat phase III completion
Redevelopment haspreserved a structurelisted on the State andNational Registers oHistoric Places
Case Study: Durango Discovery Museum - Durango, COFormer power plant will be transformed into an interactive science museum
Durango, Colorado is home to the oldestremaining alternating current (AC) steam
generated, coal red power plant inthe world. Built in 1893, the DurangoPowerhouse provided AC power to thecity during its early development. Theplant operated until the mid 1970s,when it ceased operations and wasboarded up with much o its originalequipment still in place. Ater sittingidle or more than 20 years, the City oDurango took ownership o the property.The unknown contamination in thishistorical building posed a challenge tothe city.
Meanwhile, the Childrens Museumo Durango (now called the DurangoDiscovery Museum) was outgrowing itscurrent space. They contacted the city in2002 with an interest in relocating to thePowerhouse building along the riverront.The two entered into an agreement inwhich the museum would raise undsto pay or cleanup and redevelopmento the property, while the city wouldprovide administrative and technicalassistance and lease the property tothe Museum or $1 per year. In order toinitiate cleanup, the city turned to one
o its partners, the Colorado Departmento Public Health and Environment(CDPHE). The city accessed CDPHEsSection 128(a) State Response Programunding to conduct site assessments.These and previous assessments showedthe presence o asbestos, pigeon waste,polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),and mercury let over rom historic siteoperations. Additionally, uranium miningwaste had migrated rom an adjacent siteand also required cleanup. Cleanup othe three-acre property, which included
asbestos and soil removal, wascompleted in 2005.
The new museum is expected to openphase II in the all o 2010 and willincorporate sustainable design andshowcase alternative energy systems.To make the building environmentallyriendly, the museum also hopes torun on 100 percent green power byphase III o the project expansion.Moving to this larger acility will allowthe museum to expand its science,technology, engineering, and math(STEM) education outreach acrossthe Four Corners region; the newbuilding will include a classroom orlearning lab dedicated to educationalprogramming. The museum exhibitswill celebrate the history o thepower plant through displays ooriginal power plant equipmentand inormation that highlightsthe acilitys historic role in energyinnovation. The museum will alsoexamine the uture o power, allowingvisitors to operate a hydrogen-powered race car and explore buildingtechniques that result in low utilitybills. The museum will provide a
hands-on environment or youngchildren, making interactive scienceun or all ages.
In addition to educating visitors,the museum serves as an importanttourist destination or the city.It will help to catalyze a largerredevelopment o the citys riverrontand downtown areas.
Cleanup underway at the Durango Powerhousein Durango, Colorado
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addition to the cost o admission. Nonlocal audiences
spend twice as much as their local counterparts.34
Thus, valuable commerce is generated or nearby
merchants.
Increases Social and Civic Capital
Community-based arts and cultural activities promotesocial interaction, create a sense o community
identity, build social capital, and support other local
organizations. Research ound that individuals that
participate in art events are more likely to volunteer
and serve on community boards. Regardless o a
persons education level, gender or age, perorming
arts attendance increases the likelihood o
volunteering by 25 percent.35
Creates Jobs
In 2008, the National Park Service approved morethan 1,000 historic preservation projects, which
created a total 67,705 jobs.36
Helps At-Risk Youth
Research shows that art prevention programs or at-
risk youth oer an eective and aordable alternative
to juvenile detention and police-centered crime
prevention. One such program is the community
arts program at Manchester Cratsmens Guild in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It oers art programs
to hundreds o children each year90 percent o
whom get high school diplomas and enroll in college,
compared with the 20 percent o the communitys
non-participating youth.37 Another art prevention
program, STARS in Fort Meyers, Florida, realized a
27 percent decrease in juvenile crime just three years
ater the inception o the program.38 Art programs or
at-risk youth decreased involvement in delinquent
behavior, increased academic achievement, and
improved youths attitude about themselves and the
uture.39
Community Benets of Artsand Culture Uses
Preserves National and Cultural Heritage
Celebrating history and heritage brings a sense
o pride and accomplishment to a community.
Preserving historic buildings can be a way to maintain
the character o a neighborhood, so that uture
generations understand local history. These and other
revitalization eorts pay tribute to the communitys
history while paving the way or urther community
improvements.
Spurs Community Revitalization
Studies show that artists are oten early market
entrants whose search or work space can help
stabilize neighborhoods. Local communities assist
them by transorming abandoned buildings andvacant lots into studio and retail space or theaters,
museums, galleries and cultural venues, spurring
revitalization beyond the browneld property. Several
communities, such as New Orleans, Louisiana;
Seattle, Washington; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and
Parkersburg, West Virginia have created arts and
cultural districts. These districts attract business
investment and tourist inrastructure, reverse
urban decay, and stabilize and revitalize struggling
neighborhoods.
Drives and Sustains Local Economies
Arts and culture venues leverage additional event-
related spending by their audiences which is known
as a multiplier eectand reers to how many
times money spent by a tourist circulates through a
communitys economy. For example, when patrons
attend a perorming arts event they may park their
car in a toll garage, purchase dinner at a restaurant,
and eat dessert ater the show. The typical arts
attendee spends $27.79 per person, per event, in
The arts and culture is avibrant part of the real economy,
contributing billions ofdollars of economic activity
per year; $166 billion based onthe nonprot sector alone.
Jeremy Nowak - President o TheReinvestment Fund in his 2009
testimony beore Congress, available atwww.americansforthearts.org
Fayetteville, North Carolina used its Browneldsunding to help create the Airborne and SpecialOperations Museum, which is open to the public
ree o charge
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National Trust or Historic Preservation
The Trust helps preserve the nations historic places
and make sure they are properly integrated within
new developments. It also promotes preservation
and revitalization within communities. Learn more at
www.preservationnation.org.
National Assembly o State Arts Agencies
NASAA is a membership organization that
strengthens state arts agencies, serves as a
clearinghouse or data and research about public
unding and the arts, and acilitates the transer
o ideas and inormation. Learn how art impacts
community development at www.nasaa-arts.org.
National Endowment or the Arts and
National Endowment or the Humanities
These public agencies provide grants and resourcesto bring arts and humanities into local communities.
Learn more at www.nea.govand www.neh.gov.
Shiting Sands Initiative
Community arts organizations can use their
educational programming to help build bonds
between neighbors and strengthen communities.
Learn more about the role o arts and culture in
neighborhood development and capacity building
at www.cultureshapescommunity.org/index.
php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=41.
YouthARTS Handbook
Americans or the Arts developed this handbook in
an eort to document the benets o arts programs
on youth development. The handbook shares best
practices in implementing eective youth arts
programs. To access the handbook, visit www.
americansforthearts.org/youtharts/pdf/youtharts.pdf.
Resources
Arts and Culture Indicators Project
The Urban Institutes Arts and Culture Indicators
Project (ACIP) helps policymakers make better
decisions or neighborhoods and cities by providinginormation about the presence and role o arts and
culture in communities. ACIP develops quantiable
measures o arts and culture that contribute to quality
o lie; the measures are available at www.urban.org/
projects/culturalvitality-indicators/about.cfm.
Center or Creative Community
The Development Evaluation Toolkit allows cultural
organizations to show the economic and social
benets they provide to their community. Find the
toolkit at www.williams.edu/Economics/ArtsEcon.
A local artist paints a mural that will be displayed on aormer browneld in Winsted, Connecticut
Photo courtesy o Judy Griesedieck
Did you know?
There are more than 12,000 historicdistricts across the country, and most arelocated in areas with high poverty rates.40A ederal tax credit or the rehabilitationo historic buildings provides anincentive or historical and culturalrestoration and preservation.41Revitalizing brownelds in historicdistricts can restore a communitysculture and heritage where it is neededmost.
http://www.preservationnation.org/http://www.nasaa-arts.org/http://www.nea.gov/http://www.neh.gov/http://www.cultureshapescommunity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=41http://www.cultureshapescommunity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=41http://www.cultureshapescommunity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=41http://www.americansforthearts.org/youtharts/pdf/youtharts.pdfhttp://www.americansforthearts.org/youtharts/pdf/youtharts.pdfhttp://www.urban.org/projects/culturalvitality-indicators/about.cfmhttp://www.urban.org/projects/culturalvitality-indicators/about.cfmhttp://www.williams.edu/Economics/ArtsEconhttp://www.williams.edu/Economics/ArtsEconhttp://www.urban.org/projects/culturalvitality-indicators/about.cfmhttp://www.urban.org/projects/culturalvitality-indicators/about.cfmhttp://www.americansforthearts.org/youtharts/pdf/youtharts.pdfhttp://www.americansforthearts.org/youtharts/pdf/youtharts.pdfhttp://www.cultureshapescommunity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=41http://www.cultureshapescommunity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=41http://www.cultureshapescommunity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=41http://www.neh.gov/http://www.nea.gov/http://www.nasaa-arts.org/http://www.preservationnation.org/8/3/2019 Building Vibrant Communities: Community Benefits of Land Revitalization
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In recent decades, new development has oten been
located ar rom urban centers, surrounded by vast
parking lots, and disconnected rom public transit
or even sidewalks. Figure 5 shows how almost 60
percent o our housing stock is composed o single-
amily detached homes.
Nationwide, household size is decreasing and more
people are seeking alternatives to the traditional
suburban liestyle. In addition, as the general
population grows in environmental awareness, green
homes are increasingly popular with home buyers and
renters.
Underlying this changing demand is great
opportunity: it is estimated that by 2030, about hal
o the buildings in which Americans live, work and
shop will have been built ater 2000.42 With so muchspace yet to be built, there is a great opportunity to
reshape our communities right now.
Housing and Mixed Uses
As Winston Churchill noted, We shape our dwellings,
and aterwards our dwellings shape us. There isprobably no other place that garners our attention and
imagination as much as our home. Our home may be
a city or town, but as a physical dwelling and amily
residence, it becomes a undamental building block
o neighborhoods and communities. Over the past