In urban planning, a brownfield is a former industrial or commercial site where environmental contamination hinders development. They exist in almost every community--there is probably one in your neighborhood--and state or federal resources can be used to facilitate assessment, cleanup and reuse.
Drawing on a range of local and international experiences, this collection of essays focuses on cases where citizens, nonprofits, developers, cities, and state and federal agencies overcame challenges and mitigated risks to redevelop brownfields using leading-edge practices and simple innovations. The Covid-19 pandemic and mass civil unrest of 2020 underscores the importance of health and social justice considerations in future development initiatives.
Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III, Ph.D., is vice provost for global affairs, founding dean of GGU Worldwide, and Mayor George Christopher Professor of Public Administration at Golden Gate University. A professor-practitioner, he has authored more than 20 academic books, including Cybersecurity: Current Writing on Threats and Protection and has consulted for the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, International Organization for Migration, International City/County Management Association, and USAID.
Tad McGalliard is the director of research and development at the International City/County Management Association in Washington, DC.
Ignacio Dayrit is the director of programs at the Center for Creative Land Recycling in Berkeley, California, and former redevelopment project manager for the City of Emeryville, California.