Risks and Rewards of Brownfield Redevelopment

Brownfields are abandoned or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination that may present direct public health hazards. In most cases the more serious threat is to the economic health of the host city due to lost jobs, abandoned industrial sites, and the expansion of blighted neighborhoods. Ultimately, the private real estate market will determine how brownfields are reused, but government should act to protect the public interest.