Brownfield development can provide numerous opportunities for embracing sustainability. But, “sustainability” is such a broad concept that it is sometimes difficult to know how brownfields fit in. As a colleague once put it, “the sustainability tree is so big you can’t get your arms all the way around it. Sustainability means something different to each person.”

This article is the first in a series that will look at where some of the technical aspects of brownfields and sustainability dovetail, and identify opportunities for sustainability in brownfield developments.

While there are more commonly cited definitions of sustainability (see the article on page 12), one that we might focus on is “go lean, go green and go clean.”

“Going lean” suggests using less energy and natural resources, or using fewer new materials. For brownfields, this can mean adaptive reuse of buildings, reusing current infrastructure or recycling materials.

“Going green” relates to using renewable energy sources and materials. To this end, brownfield redevelopment might incorporate naturalized landscapes into site design using renewable building materials, or one could dedicate brownfield property to naturalized end uses, such as wetlands banking and conservation easements.

“Going clean” means using cleaner sources of energy to reduce a development’s “carbon footprint.” This can be accomplished by using architectural and civil design methods to reduce the carbon dioxide produced by the development, or by monitoring carbon dioxide production and offsetting carbon emissions by planting trees.

The highly respected Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is leading the way to measure and certify sustainable development for both buildings and site civil design.

Going Green can Also Relate to Reducing the Concentration of Hazardous Constituents in the Environment. for Brownfields, This can Mean Cleaning up a Property by Treating Hazardous Constituents or Reducing Them to Safe Risk Levels for Future Users.

The activity of resolving environmental issues at a brownfield site is inherently an action that enhances sustainability. And while other aspects of brownfield development are not automatically sustainable activities, they do present synergistic opportunities to enhance sustainability. The table on page 5 presents several areas of convergence.

The location of urban brownfields makes them a natural for sustainable development. Most properties are within an area of existing infrastructure and transportation networks, reducing the need to extend them toward the undeveloped greenfield at the edge of town. Many properties are close to higher density business and residential areas, thus creating the opportunity for transit-oriented development (TOD), which can reduce commute times and maximize the use of existing transportation systems. And many brownfield properties have existing buildings and/or roadways, some of which can be reused as renovated buildings or as recycled materials. Each of these factors reduces the impact that more conventional actions may have on the environment and provides sustainable benefits.

A next step for the brownfield community and designers should be to develop additional metrics and measurement tools to track sustainable activities. The next article in this series will consider the more difficult task of measuring the connections and benefits between brownfields and sustainability.

Ken Kastman is a vice president and senior principal engineer at URS Corporation in Chicago.