What's a Brownfield, and What Do We Do With It?

And yet, there are plenty of ways to revive a brownfield, or clean it up and get it ready for commercial or private use again.

A brownfield is an abandoned industrial or commercial facility, like a factory or a warehouse, where there's likely been some heavy pollution that's resulted in contamination to the environment. Often, the damage is severe enough that the lingering pollutants could cause health issues.

There are entire organizations devoted to brownfield management, like the Brownfield Opportunity Area, which awarded a grant to Newton Creek area, one of the most heavily polluted waterways in the US.

There are also exciting new ways to develop brownfields, and the good folks at UPenn are looking into some of them. Take, for example, this green roof project that could completely change the face of a brownfield. Like Superfund sites, brownfields are an exciting place to look for land to get a long overdue eco-friendly face lift.

This post was inspired by Greenovate.