The Determinants of Brownfields Redevelopment in England

Area of Science:

• Urban Planning and Policy
• Environmental Economics
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Background:

• Brownfields, defined as previously used land with potential for redevelopment, present a significant challenge and opportunity in urban regeneration.
• Understanding the complex factors driving brownfield reuse is crucial for sustainable land management and economic development.
• Existing research often overlooks the localized spatial dynamics and neighborhood effects influencing redevelopment decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the determinants of brownfield redevelopment in England using discrete choice models and GIS data.
• To investigate the impact of local context, site characteristics, and adjacent land use on brownfield reuse.
• To identify policy implications for boosting brownfield regeneration at a local level.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Land Use Database, encompassing over 21,000 English brownfield sites.
• Employed spatial discrete choice models, including a novel spatial probit latent class model with class-specific neighborhood effects.
• Integrated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data to capture spatial relationships and local attributes.

Main Results:

• Significant local variations exist in the factors determining brownfield redevelopment across England.
• The reuse decisions of adjacent sites demonstrably influence the redevelopment of a specific brownfield site.
• Sites with industrial history, larger areas, and those in disadvantaged urban/regional locations face greater redevelopment challenges.
• Private ownership increases brownfield reuse probability by up to 8.5% compared to public ownership.
• Location in London offers a 15-30% higher probability of reuse compared to the North West of England.

Conclusions:

• Brownfield redevelopment is highly sensitive to local conditions and spatial interdependencies.
• Site characteristics, ownership, and geographic disparities play critical roles in reuse outcomes.
• Localized, tailored policy interventions are more effective than uniform regional or national strategies for promoting brownfield regeneration.