Local governments that want to succeed in brownfields development should obtain the excellent new guidebook on Brownfields Redevelopment from ICMA and the Northeast-Midwest Institute. This guidebook can help brownfields beginners and veterans alike with its comprehensive coverage, clear organization and ease of use, and brimming references to resources, contacts, case studies and other valuable information. Written by some of the most knowledgeable authorities on local brownfields redevelopment, the book should be close at hand for all local officials tackling the brownfields challenge in their communities.
The guidebook features a comprehensive coverage, designed to lead local governments from the initial steps of local brownfields decision-making, through the indispensable financing and cleanup stages, past legal barriers and technology selection, and into the community involvement and redevelopment stages. Any community leader that has experienced the tension of building positive community participation into brownfields decisions will appreciate the guidebook's thoughtful chapter on the importance of community involvement and tips for collaborative planning and consensus-building approaches. Beyond these standard brownfields subjects, the book provides a unique perspective on other issues that may face local communities, such as hiring environmental consultants, renovating existing buildings and building partnerships with federal agencies.
The book's strength is its organization, enabling readers of the 450-page text to pinpoint information with ease. The guidebook begins with a set of nearly 40 "frequently asked questions," categorized by subject and coupled with both a short answer and cross-references to further information in the text. Each of the 14 chapters commences with bullet point summaries of the chapter's content, and effective use of headings and subheadings provides a clear pathway through the guidebook.
In brownfields, like in any complex endeavor, often the most valuable information tells "how have others done it, and how can I contact them?" The Brownfields Redevelopment Guidebook responds ably to this informational need with descriptions of the brownfields activities of more than 120 community pilot projects funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and contact information for local governments, local and regional federal officials, and state voluntary cleanup programs.
Moreover, the guidebook chapter devoted to case studies of local brownfields efforts portrays more than 20 examples of successful brownfields approaches. The case studies chapter begins with an overview of the varied approaches to the brownfields challenge taken by three different cities, highlighting the strengths and key strategies of each community. This section describes how the City of Chicago has focused on building success stories with discrete pilot projects, how the City of Dallas has streamlined the regulatory and redevelopment process for brownfields, and how the City of Takoma has taken the risky but effective action of purchasing and redeveloping abandoned property that was heavily contaminated and designated as a federal Superfund site. The guidebook goes on to provide in-depth case studies of five other brownfields projects, with an assessment of the regulatory framework, financing strategy, impacts and lessons learned from each project. The case studies chapter closes with a summary of 13 other local community brownfields projects.
The guidebook's six appendices put forth resource lists on innovative technology and sources for further reading. Particularly valuable is an appendix that gathers a myriad of federal policy guidances and regulations that must be understood by any local brownfields official.
Buckminster Fuller once mused: "the most important fact about Spaceship Earth: an instruction booklet didn't come with it." Until Brownfields Redevelopment: A Guidebook for Local Governments & Communities, the same could be said about brownfields. Fortunately, the guidebook's how-to instructions, case studies, contact and other reference information provide practical information for local governments, which can be adapted to meet a variety of local needs and circumstances. Overall, the Brownfields Redevelopment Guidebook provides a strong foundation — and all the dirt — on brownfields projects at the local level.