ABSTRACT
The term “brownfields” signifies devastated and unused or very little-used localities and properties of an industrial, agricultural, or public character, and non-industrial sites that are abandoned, having lost their original function. This research analyzes causes of brownfields in the Czech Republic, showing some differences from countries that did not go through a period of a centrally planned economy. Another goal of this chapter is to propose a systemic approach to accelerating the redevelopment of brownfields. It is obvious from the experience of developed economies that the problem of brownfields would have occurred even without economic reforms. In transition countries, the changes in economic structures came into effect in a very short period of time, intensifying the problem of brownfields. A brief summary of the causes of brownfields within the context of the historical development of the economy in the territory of the present Czech Republic is provided. For foreign readers the discussion includes characteristics of Czech Republic economic reforms at the beginning of the 1990s. The second part of the contribution quantifies the extent of brownfields in the Czech Republic and presents the strategy, organization, and financial arrangements of redevelopment processes. The last part of the chapter suggests implications of effective brownfield redevelopment in the Czech Republic.
