Equitable Development Tools

From Brown to Blooming: A Field-Tested Guide for Getting from Brownfield to Neighborhood Asset
Planning & Strategy Development |

Have you ever passed by a long-vacant or abandoned property and wondered, “What’s the deal here? Why isn’t our community making better use of this land?”

Download From Brown to Blooming

All over the country, neighborhood residents, nonprofit organizations, and local governments are working together to transform underutilized and contaminated properties into community assets such as affordable housing, community centers, maker spaces, playgrounds, parks, and more! But turning a site that is or is suspected of being contaminated (the EPA’s definition of a brownfield) into quality open space is no easy feat. You can’t do it overnight, and you certainly can’t do it alone.

Designed for nonprofits or well-organized neighborhood associations, From Brown to Blooming: Groundwork USA’s Field-Tested Guide for Getting from Brownfield to Neighborhood Asset walks you through the many steps and considerations involved in taking a brownfield-to-open space project from inception to reality, including:

  • determining if a site is contaminated,
  • developing a strategy for working with the site owner to clean it up,
  • engaging the community in meaningful and equitable site planning, design, and re-development,
  • partnering with government agencies, technical experts, and local businesses,
  • and getting it all funded!