ABSTRACT
The redevelopment of brownfield sites (or Previously Developed Land, PDL) has been a concerted planning objective in England for over a decade now. Brownfield land is defined in England as “land that has been previously subject to physical development (other than agriculture) and where its reuse may be complicated by one or more factors, which may include contamination” (English Partnerships 2006: 1). Therefore, in contrast to many other countries in Europe, and common usage in the USA, English brownfield sites are not necessarily contaminated, but have been developed (CABERNET 2004). A range of policy initiatives, which are described below, have cumulatively attempted to steer development on to PDL, mainly in urban areas. The policies have, broadly, been devised to meet the twin objectives of: 1) Reducing the total amount of brownfield land in England; and 2) Contributing to sustainable development and urban regeneration. These two policy aims can be seen as “quantitative,” i.e. related to the amount of land redeveloped, and “qualitative,” focusing on the types of places and wider social, economic and environmental benefits that can be achieved via the development of brownfield land (Ganser and Williams 2005).
