Print

Diller, Amy Fisher

Community Development and Applied Economics

2007

MS

The redevelopment of vacant or underused buildings and lots is an essential step in sustaining neighborhood and downtown vitality while reducing sprawl. Brownfields, properties with real or perceived contamination issues, are commonly located in or near downtowns and village centers and present a greater challenge to planners and developers than other properties. Brownfields left as vacant or derelict islands often decrease the value of adjacent properties, inhibit development, and detract from the local aesthetic. Redevelopment of these locations can enhance the natural environment, unlock desirable spaces, help increase the density of development, and contribute to the social and economic wellbeing of communities.
Brownfields are often considered an urban problem, but they exist in suburban and rural areas as well. What factors lead to successful brownfield redevelopment in more rural communities? A study of stakeholders in Vermont Brownfields projects, including local and regional planners, town administrators, community economic development specialists, private developers, development corporations representatives, and environmental consultants, suggests that brownfields are a significant community development issue. Stakeholder approaches to measuring success in Vermont brownfields projects as well as factors that lead to successful redevelopment are identified. These approaches and factors are relevant to the successful implementation of brownfields programs and policies in other areas where the market alone does not stimulate redevelopment. Findings from this study provide a basis for further research and refinement in the development and implementation of rural brownfields programs and policies at state and local levels.