Land Revitalization Toolkit
EPA’s Land Revitalization Program can help communities identify the possibilities for reusing a contaminated, or potentially contaminated, site. Planning upfront for site reuse typically creates exciting opportunities within the redevelopment process, such as:
- including sustainable and equitable development approaches, and
- integrating site assessment and cleanup activities alongside the redevelopment.
Below are guides and tools to help a community through each stage of the contaminated site redevelopment process: Reuse Planning, Pre-Development, Development and Reuse Management & Operations.
Reuse Planning
Guides
- The Community Actions that Drive Brownfields Redevelopment guide includes specific actions that a community can take to prepare a brownfield site for cleanup and reuse and make it attractive for public or private investment.
- 10 specific planning activities that can help a community’s site reuse goals align with local economic, infrastructure, social and environmental conditions, and determine which reuses are feasible for the site.
- Brownfields Stakeholder Forum Kit: provides example agendas, invitations, logistics, etc as well as other guidance to assist communities in engaging stakeholders and establishing partnerships to address brownfields revitalization challenges.
- Brownfields Road Map 6th Edition breaks down site investigation and cleanup into an easy to understand, step-by-step process that provides valuable and up-to-date information to a wide range of Brownfields stakeholders involved in or affected by the redevelopment of Brownfields sites.
- Brownfields Grant Recipients' Road Map to Understanding Quality Assurance Project Plans describes for EPA Brownfields Assessment Grantees the general process for developing and using a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).
- Considering changing climate conditions:
- Climate Smart Brownfields Manual is a resource for communities that want to consider climate change as they assess, clean up, or redevelop brownfield sites. It provides guidance on best practices for climate change mitigation, adaption, and resilience at all stages of Brownfields work, from planning to redevelopment. In addition, the manual contains case studies and links to additional resources that communities can use as they develop Brownfields project plans.
- Brownfield Revitalization in Climate-Vulnerable Areas outlines nationally applicable examples of relevant regulatory standards, incentives and guidelines for communities to consider when updating their building code, zoning and subdivision regulations. Includes guidance for communities may use to inform their efforts to balance planning goals, increase climate resiliency, and promote economic development.
Tools
- Public Infrastructure Coordination Assessment and Planning (short how-to video and tool): Helps a community develop a coordinated approach to infrastructure asset management. Can be used to assess progress and benefits of cross-system/cross-department or city-wide asset management.
- Residential Demolition Tool: A guide for communities facing residential demolition to help them achieve improved environmental results during demolition. Includes contractor bid specification development tools for use by cities, counties or land banks undertaking large-scale residential demolitions.
Pre-Development
Guides
- The Anatomy of Brownfields Redevelopment guide explains how the brownfields cleanup and reuse process from the real estate development perspective.
- RE-Development Academy: a three-part webinar series designed for community members who wish to learn how developers approach contaminated site redevelopment. View archive:
- Setting the Stage for Leveraging Resources for Brownfields Revitalization assists communities in finding and attracting sufficient funding for brownfields redevelopment projects.
Tools
- The PREPARED Workbook: Framework to assist local governments in evaluating potential property recovery actions for brownfields. Includes a step-by-step process for determining how to facilitate reuse alternatives for contaminated properties.
- The Community Reuse Property Prioritization Tool is designed to help communities prioritize properties based on a specific reuse plan. Additionally, the Tool supports communities in developing a low-level inventory that can be used to prioritize brownfields for future assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment by capturing information that will help estimate the complexity of such activities.
Development
Guide
- Cleaning Up Brownfields under State Response Programs - Getting to "No Further Action": guide for owners of brownfields properties on the general requirements for entering a brownfield into a state cleanup program and the process for attaining a state decision or certification of the need for “no further action” under each state response program.
Tools
- Deconstruction Rapid Assessment Tool: Assists communities and contractors with assessing the potential value of materials that could be recycled by deconstructing a structure rather than demolishing it.
- Deconstruction Tools for Tribes and Rural Communities: Two tools that provide a step-by-step approach for calculating the feasibility and value of deconstructing buildings, reclaiming materials, and recycling materials for potential profit.
- Urban agriculture & aquaponics assist communities that are seeking agricultural reuses for brownfields. Includes guidance for developing a business plan for the setup and operation of urban farm and aquaponics facilities
Reuse Management & Operations
Guide
- "New Manufacturing on Old Brownfields" makes the case for siting advanced manufacturing facilities on brownfields by showcasing examples from three communities that are revitalizing brownfields for new manufacturing. It also includes a resource guide to assist communities working to reuse brownfields for new manufacturing.
Tool
- Brownfields and Urban Agriculture: Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices: Guidelines for developing agricultural reuse projects on brownfields.