Is Brown the New Green?
The November, 2009 McGraw Hill Construction Continuing education center focused on the use of brown field re-development in the creation of mixed use communities.
It has been widely known that the LEED system has embraced the re-development of brown fields as a means of fostering sustainable growth, as well as revitalizing urban (as well as non-urban) areas. Brown fields are defined as areas that have either been abandoned or otherwise underutilized. These portions of land often create eyesores, reduce tax revenues, and are in many other ways a drain on a community.
By re-developing these sites into once again productive use, we not only revitalize the community, but reduce the amount new virgin land that must cleared to gain the same purpose. The Sustainable Sites section of LEED awards specific credits in this area.
In urban areas, these site are often centrally located, and near existing services. This fact alone makes them an excellent candidate for the creation of mixed use communities. Brown fields were once thought to be only abandoned industrial sites, but now this has been broadened into others as well. By this, we mean that a project may often have residential and commercial uses combined into one integrated land use application. This has the advantages of creating a mix of new retail, residential, office and park space into one project, creating a interconnected community with easy access by all stake-holders. In the process, we see a reduction in traffic and parking needs, as residents can often walk to work or stores from their homes.
One issue driving this effort has been the lessening of liability issues due to the better assessment and clean-up tools that have become common place prior to the start of these projects. Local governments have also embraced this trend, and for good reason -- it puts these properties back on the tax rolls.
MIT in Cambridge, MA provides a good example of where a mixed use community was developed from a previously underutilized site. MIT began to acquire 27 acres adjacent to the west of its campus. These acres were comprised of run-down industrial and residential sites. MIT decided to employ research and development in the effort to create a site where new technology could result from academia and land use in the private sector. In doing this, they envisioned the collaboration of entrepreneurial and professors to be in close proximity with each other. This process created a vibrant new community, while minimizing the issues of entitlement. As mentioned above, this effort also had the benefit of traffic mitigation, as by encouraging commuting by biking, ride share or even walking. the MIT center was originally intended to serve the computer and defense related technologies, but evolved later into research and development, a hotel, and five residential properties that now offer a true mixed use community. This offers an affordable place for a combined workforce, retail and residential uses, while at the same time creating what is known by LEED as community connectivity, for which LEED awards points towards certification. It should also be noted that it is not only LEED for new construction, but now the new LEED for Neighborhood Development that embraces this concept.
MIT faced many challenges in this project. First, they had to deal with the fact that the site was originally created by filling in a salt marsh adjacent to the Charles River. It was also found that the soil fill contained lead, necessitating care not create a major disposal issue if it were removed. Since the area was only nine feet above the water table, it was decided not build below grade level, thus reducing the contaminated soil disposal issues. Thus, the environmental clean up was more easily incorporated into the budget.
Another project mentioned in this review is the Piedmont Triad Research Park (PTRP) in Winston-Salem, NC. Wake Forest University Health Sciences re-developed a 230 acre historic business site into a mixed use park with life sciences and technology as its primary use. This site was located about two mile from the medical center, but was able to meet the needs of the plan. The idea was to offer access to nature, biking, as well as walking routes, as well as a significantly improved storm water control.
The Piedmont Triad Research Center plan thus evolved into an urban re-development project that offers green areas mixed in with densely spaced buildings. The result was to create a mix of lab, office, retail, entertainment and housing on this once mostly industrial site. Several historic buildings, including a tobacco warehouse are slated to be converted into new uses, such as condos and apartments.
As PTRP was so large and contained many environmental issues, the State of North Carolina asked that it be split into three separate districts. In the process, brown field designation was obtained, leading to funding for clean-up and other remedial matters. In this case, as is often the case in brown field re-development, a massive amount of clean up was needed. Underground petroleum storage tanks were discovered, and had to safely removed. In addition, the project was required to build a new concrete plant off-site to replace one that they had to remove from their site.
The article goes on to mention a third example near Seattle, WA, known as South Lake Union. This was originally an industrial site dating back to the late 19th century. Environmental concerns such as asbestos and dry cleaning chemicals had to be dealt with. In addition, there were several historic use buildings that remained. It was felt beneficial to gain landmark status for them, and hence preserve and incorporate them into the re-development. They added character to the project.
Rather than try to develop the entire site at once, a coordinated staged plan was used, whereby it would be done block, by block, to allow it grow as needs dictated -- a rather organic approach, as compared to a standard research park, which is often done in one stage. the goal here too, was to produce a mixed use neighborhood, with a focus on life sciences.
As with many brown field sites, there were already in place services such as streets, sewers, water, good bus service and two parks. One very important goal was to further add public transportation, by the addition of a street car system that tied into downtown.
It must be noted that all buildings will incorporate green technologies. The entire project is slated to be the first LEED certified project under the USGBC LEED for Neighborhood Development.
In short, while each brown field re-development is different, they all share similarities. The aim is to revitalize an aging underused property into a vibrant, environmentally sound functioning community.
It has been widely known that the LEED system has embraced the re-development of brown fields as a means of fostering sustainable growth, as well as revitalizing urban (as well as non-urban) areas. Brown fields are defined as areas that have either been abandoned or otherwise underutilized. These portions of land often create eyesores, reduce tax revenues, and are in many other ways a drain on a community.
By re-developing these sites into once again productive use, we not only revitalize the community, but reduce the amount new virgin land that must cleared to gain the same purpose. The Sustainable Sites section of LEED awards specific credits in this area.
In urban areas, these site are often centrally located, and near existing services. This fact alone makes them an excellent candidate for the creation of mixed use communities. Brown fields were once thought to be only abandoned industrial sites, but now this has been broadened into others as well. By this, we mean that a project may often have residential and commercial uses combined into one integrated land use application. This has the advantages of creating a mix of new retail, residential, office and park space into one project, creating a interconnected community with easy access by all stake-holders. In the process, we see a reduction in traffic and parking needs, as residents can often walk to work or stores from their homes.
One issue driving this effort has been the lessening of liability issues due to the better assessment and clean-up tools that have become common place prior to the start of these projects. Local governments have also embraced this trend, and for good reason -- it puts these properties back on the tax rolls.
MIT in Cambridge, MA provides a good example of where a mixed use community was developed from a previously underutilized site. MIT began to acquire 27 acres adjacent to the west of its campus. These acres were comprised of run-down industrial and residential sites. MIT decided to employ research and development in the effort to create a site where new technology could result from academia and land use in the private sector. In doing this, they envisioned the collaboration of entrepreneurial and professors to be in close proximity with each other. This process created a vibrant new community, while minimizing the issues of entitlement. As mentioned above, this effort also had the benefit of traffic mitigation, as by encouraging commuting by biking, ride share or even walking. the MIT center was originally intended to serve the computer and defense related technologies, but evolved later into research and development, a hotel, and five residential properties that now offer a true mixed use community. This offers an affordable place for a combined workforce, retail and residential uses, while at the same time creating what is known by LEED as community connectivity, for which LEED awards points towards certification. It should also be noted that it is not only LEED for new construction, but now the new LEED for Neighborhood Development that embraces this concept.
MIT faced many challenges in this project. First, they had to deal with the fact that the site was originally created by filling in a salt marsh adjacent to the Charles River. It was also found that the soil fill contained lead, necessitating care not create a major disposal issue if it were removed. Since the area was only nine feet above the water table, it was decided not build below grade level, thus reducing the contaminated soil disposal issues. Thus, the environmental clean up was more easily incorporated into the budget.
Another project mentioned in this review is the Piedmont Triad Research Park (PTRP) in Winston-Salem, NC. Wake Forest University Health Sciences re-developed a 230 acre historic business site into a mixed use park with life sciences and technology as its primary use. This site was located about two mile from the medical center, but was able to meet the needs of the plan. The idea was to offer access to nature, biking, as well as walking routes, as well as a significantly improved storm water control.
The Piedmont Triad Research Center plan thus evolved into an urban re-development project that offers green areas mixed in with densely spaced buildings. The result was to create a mix of lab, office, retail, entertainment and housing on this once mostly industrial site. Several historic buildings, including a tobacco warehouse are slated to be converted into new uses, such as condos and apartments.
As PTRP was so large and contained many environmental issues, the State of North Carolina asked that it be split into three separate districts. In the process, brown field designation was obtained, leading to funding for clean-up and other remedial matters. In this case, as is often the case in brown field re-development, a massive amount of clean up was needed. Underground petroleum storage tanks were discovered, and had to safely removed. In addition, the project was required to build a new concrete plant off-site to replace one that they had to remove from their site.
The article goes on to mention a third example near Seattle, WA, known as South Lake Union. This was originally an industrial site dating back to the late 19th century. Environmental concerns such as asbestos and dry cleaning chemicals had to be dealt with. In addition, there were several historic use buildings that remained. It was felt beneficial to gain landmark status for them, and hence preserve and incorporate them into the re-development. They added character to the project.
Rather than try to develop the entire site at once, a coordinated staged plan was used, whereby it would be done block, by block, to allow it grow as needs dictated -- a rather organic approach, as compared to a standard research park, which is often done in one stage. the goal here too, was to produce a mixed use neighborhood, with a focus on life sciences.
As with many brown field sites, there were already in place services such as streets, sewers, water, good bus service and two parks. One very important goal was to further add public transportation, by the addition of a street car system that tied into downtown.
It must be noted that all buildings will incorporate green technologies. The entire project is slated to be the first LEED certified project under the USGBC LEED for Neighborhood Development.
In short, while each brown field re-development is different, they all share similarities. The aim is to revitalize an aging underused property into a vibrant, environmentally sound functioning community.
Posted by Alan L. Englander at 12/9/2009 1:32 AM 
Categories: Urban Brownfields, Mixed Land-Use Communites, Environmental Remediation, Neighborhood Development
Categories: Urban Brownfields, Mixed Land-Use Communites, Environmental Remediation, Neighborhood Development
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