Urban Brownfields: Origin, Definition, and Diversity

Abstract

Brownfield is a polysemic notion that encompasses a whole range of diverse spaces. Although there is no official definition at the European level, an emerging consensus has arisen around the urban character of brownfields and the need for intervention. Indeed, their location within metropolitan areas represents a strategic opportunity to densify and rejuvenate the urban fabric at the neighbourhood scale. Hence, we propose a definition of urban brownfields that is flexible enough to optimize the potential development of abandoned sites and precise enough to enable framing the discussion. Then, we take a look at the diversity of urban brownfields in European metropolitan areas by briefly explaining the factors that cause a site to become a brownfield and then attempting to classify different types of urban brownfields. The proposed classification aims to create a non-exhaustive reference framework by offering in-depth knowledge of the urban brownfield and regeneration projects phenomenon across Europe, without setting its meaning in stone.

Redevelopment of Brownfields for Cultural Use from ERDF Fund—The Case of Hungary between 2014 and 2020

“…For instance, Dannert and Pirisi (2017), referring to Orosz (2012), classify brownfields based on the former use of the area as (1) traditional brownfields (former industrial, military and transportation areas), (2) transitional brownfields (former commercial, residential and other technical infrastructure areas) and (3) the new type of brownfields (former social and cultural functions). Similar to this, a current publication issued in Rey et al (2022), titled Neighbourhoods in Transition, highlights the diversity and richness of situations: (1) industrial brownfields (composed of industrial sites from the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries and large sub-or peri-urban industrial sites), (2) railway brownfields (abandoned railway stations, obsolete railway areas, industrial railway sites), (3) military brownfields, (4) waterfront brownfields, (5) infrastructural brownfields (including transport-related infrastructures, agro-food facilities, tertiary sector facilities, commercial brownfields, energy brownfields) and, finally, (6) diverse derelict sites. The classification of the brownfield sites is the starting point.…”

“…Due to this, the original function of the projects could be assessed. We have analysed the descriptions one by one, and we have categorised the original functions according to the typology developed by Rey et al (2022). The distribution of the original brownfield sites is as follows: industrial (31.25%), infrastructural (29.69%), military brownfields (17.19%), diverse derelict sites (15.63%), waterfront (1.56%), industrial and diverse derelict (1.56%) and, finally, industrial and waterfronts (3.13%).…”

“…Next, we have added further attributes to the database, such as the NUTS-2 region the settlement is located in and the number of inhabitants of the settlement, which was essential to define the size category of settlements, as well as the settlement category-these data were derived from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. For deeper understanding of the projects, we evaluated the original function with brownfield classification by Rey et al 2022, the type of the redevelopment, the exact original function and the new functions introduced. Table 2 indicates the projects' attributes, the attributes added to the original ones from the search engine are in bold.…”

“…From a policy perspective, it was extremely important to determine the precise content of the phenomenon (Loures and Vaz 2018;Tonin and Bonifaci 2020;Vojvodíková et al 2021). Differing from the definition accepted in the US, the EU accepts a broad-spectrum definition (Rey et al 2022), which is based on the concept of previously developed land (originated from the UK terminology). The definition by CABERNET (Concerted Action on Brownfield and Economic Regeneration Network), a European multi-stakeholder network that focuses on the complex issues that are raised by brownfield regeneration, reflects that broad-spectrum nature: "Brownfields are sites that have been affected by the former uses of the site and surrounding land; are derelict and underused; may have real or perceived contamination problems; are mainly in developed urban areas; and require intervention to bring them back to beneficial use" (CABERNET 2006).…”

Economic Sustainability of Culture and Cultural Tourism

“…For instance, Dannert and Pirisi (2017), referring to Orosz (2012), classify brownfields based on the former use of the area as ( 1) traditional brownfields (former industrial, military and transportation areas), (2) transitional brownfields (former commercial, residential and other technical infrastructure areas) and ( 3) the new type of brownfields (former social and cultural functions). Similar to this, a current publication issued in Rey et al (2022), titled Neighbourhoods in Transition, highlights the diversity and richness of situations: (1) industrial brownfields (composed of industrial sites from the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries and large sub-or peri-urban industrial sites), (2) railway brownfields (abandoned railway stations, obsolete railway areas, industrial railway sites), (3) military brownfields, (4) waterfront brownfields, (5) infrastructural brownfields (including transport-related infrastructures, agro-food facilities, tertiary sector facilities, commercial brownfields, energy brownfields) and, finally, ( 6) diverse derelict sites. The classification of the brownfield sites is the starting point.…”