Assessing Extrajurisdictional and Areawide Impacts of Clustered Brownfield Developments

Abstract

Brownfields are vacant, underutilized, or abandoned industrial and commercial sites where real or perceived environmental contamination is an obstacle to development. Federal initiatives in the 1990s reduced legal liabilities associated with brownfields and provided financial incentives for development initiatives. As brownfields are often located in infill areas, they have advantages over greenfields developments in that much of the supporting infrastructure already exists and they are centrally located. However, the existing infrastructure may be deteriorated and obsolete, and brownfield developments in infill areas may require local as well as areawide transportation improvements. This paper uses a modified impact analysis approach, synthesized from regional transportation modeling and site impact analysis tools, to assess the extrajurisdictional and areawide impacts of clustered brownfield developments. The writers apply this approach to clustered brownfield developments in the City of Pittsburgh. The study results show that the synergistic effects and areawide impacts of clustered brownfield developments may not be adequately captured by traditional site impact studies. This paper is potentially useful for municipal agencies involved in assessing and planning for the transportation improvement needs of clustered brownfield developments.