Editor's Summary

In recent years, the links between brownfields redevelopment and smart growth have strengthened. EPA cites brownfield rehabilitation as an essential component of smart growth, as site rehabilitation recreates properties as economic and community assets. However, not all brownfields redevelopment is consistent with smart growth principles, because sites are often developed on a parcel-by-parcel basis outside of a broader sustainability plan. For these programs to achieve sustainability, states should increase the use of areawide brownfields initiatives, develop measures to assess progress toward sustainability, promote "green building" practices in site reuse, and develop "second generation" policies to improve performance of state voluntary cleanup programs.