building vibrant communities: community benefits of land revitalization

8/3/2019 Building Vibrant Communities: Community Benefits of Land Revitalization

1/48

1

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:


2/48

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.


3/48

i

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


4/48

ii

ii


5/48

iii

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


6/48

iv

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:


7/48

1

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


8/48

2

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


9/48

3

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.
http://www.epa.gov/carehttp://www.epa.gov/care


10/48

4

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/


11/48

5

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.
http://www.sustainablesites.org/http://www.sustainablesites.org/


12/48

6

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


13/48

7

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


14/48

8

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


15/48

9

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


16/48

10

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


17/48

11

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


18/48

12

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

!

!

!

!!!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!!

!

!

!

Food Deserts*

Unpopulated Areas and Parks

! EPA-Tracked Sites

Major Highways0 1 2 3 40.5

Miles

I-83

I-95

895


19/48

13

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.


20/48

14

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
http://www.greensgrow.org/http://www.greensgrow.org/


21/48

15

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/


22/48

16

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=FoodNutritionAssistance


23/48

17

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


24/48

18

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
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htmhttp://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htmhttp://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htmhttp://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htm


25/48

19

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
http://www.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org/http://www.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org/http://www.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org/


26/48

20

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


27/48

21

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
http://www.americansforthearts.org/http://www.americansforthearts.org/


28/48

22

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/


29/48

23

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

building vibrant communities: community benefits of land revitalization

Documents