Contaminated or old industrial sites
What it takes to clean up and reuse brownfields and closed factories.
Before you rely on thisThese are older articles and answers, and laws and programs change and vary by place. For current rules, check with your state environmental agency and the U.S. EPA brownfields program.
Start with these
Guide
Brownfields Problems and Redevelopment Opportunities
Brownfields, or sites showing the real or perceived need for an environmental clean-up, have become a technical specialty. Learn how citizens can act too..Guide
Toxic Waste Scary, But Cleanup Is Possible
If you understand the term toxic waste and learn about their cleanup, your community can overcome problem sites over a period of years.Guide
Abandoned Factories Present a Challenge for Communities
Embrace these ideas for reuse of abandoned factories, which quickly become dead zones discouraging investment and attracting trash and illegal behavior,Visitor question
Old industrial site and redevelopment
Last Reviewed: May 23, 2024 Visitor Question:Is ownership of an old industrial site a constraint to redevelopment? I've been told that this commercialGuide
Redevelopment of Obsolete Land Uses in Your Community
Redevelopment of vacant, abandoned, or underutilized land can bring economic and social benefits to a neighborhood or city. Here we introduce the potential.Guide
Environmental Justice Is A Matter of Fair Distribution
Learn how neighborhoods, planning commissions, and communities can further environmental justice among economic, racial, and ethnic groups.
Ready to do something about it?
Turn this into a clear plan.
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Original guidance from A Good Community: How to Make and Keep It, owned and edited by Nancy Thompson (formerly Useful Community Development), shared with permission. Community Compass notes and updates are our own and have not been reviewed by Nancy Thompson.