BROWNFIELDS & SUSTAINABILITY: Innovative Approaches Gaining Ground in the U.S. June 14, 2016 Margaret Renas, P.E., LEED AP
ABOUT DELTA INSTITUTE Founded in 1998 to work at the nexus of environmental sustainability and economic development. Our staff: Multidisciplinary team 16 FTE including urban planners, civil engineers, economists, scientists, architects, LEED APs, GIS. What we do: • Develop innovative programs and market- driven solutions • Build sustainable markets • Convene diverse stakeholders Inform better policy • Learn more at delta-institute.org.
THEORY OF CHANGE
WHERE WE WORK Lansing, MI Chicago Metro Detroit, Region MI Cleveland, OH Illinois State Programs Toledo, OH Lake County, IN
DELTA’S 3 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
DELTA’S 3 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 1. Disrupt the Energy Status Quo
DELTA’S 3 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 1. Disrupt the Energy Status Quo 2. Transform Waste from a Liability to an Asset
DELTA’S 3 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 1. Disrupt the Energy Status Quo 2. Transform Waste from a Liability to an Asset 3. Catalyze Ecosystem Stewardship
TODAY’S PRESENTATION…. 1) Deconstruction 2) Phytoremediation 3) Green Infrastructure 4) Asset Mapping 5) U.S. Focus on Community-Based Brownfield Redevelopment • Reasons why and results • Technical assistance interventions Assessing sites for ease of redevelopment
1. DECONSTRUCTION
DECONS DECONSTR TRUCTION UCTION: The process of dismantling buildings in a way that allows for reuse of building materials. REUS REUSE: To give material a second life without being shredded, chipped, grinded, melted, or smelted.
VACANT BUILDING = HIDDEN ASSETS
HIDDEN ASSETS = HIDDEN VALUES
HIDDEN VALUES = VALUE-ADDED PROCESSING
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS • Reduced toxic dust from brownfield site
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS • Reduced toxic dust from brownfield site • Reduced heavy metal leaching into soil
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS • Reduced toxic dust from brownfield site • Reduced heavy metal leaching into soil • Reduced waste to landfills
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS • Reduced toxic dust from brownfield site • Reduced heavy metal leaching into soil • Reduced waste to landfills • Reduced consumption of virgin material
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
ECONOMIC BENEFITS • Labor from removing structures – Jobs!
ECONOMIC BENEFITS • Labor from removing structures – Jobs! • Reclaimed lumber for resale
ECONOMIC BENEFITS • Labor from removing structures – Jobs! • Reclaimed lumber for resale • Resale of flooring, woodwork, lighting, plumbing, and fixtures at lower cost.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS • Labor from removing structures – Jobs! • Reclaimed lumber for resale • Resale of flooring, woodwork, lighting, plumbing, and fixtures at lower cost • Sale of value-added products
LARGE-SCALE PILOTS • Detroit, Michigan • Gary, Indiana
DECONSTRUCTION IN THE U.S. Chicago Philadelphia, Detroit, Metro PA MI Region Gary, IN Baltimore, MD Cleveland, OH
2. PHYTOREMEDIATION
PHY PHYTOREMEDIA TOREMEDIATION TION: The direct use of living green plants for in situ (in-place or on-site) risk reduction for contaminated soil, sludges, sediments, and groundwater through removal, degradation or containment of the contaminant.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHYTO When site reuse is not obvious/timing of cleanup is not urgent, use phyto ….. – To develop local markets in weak-market communities – As an interim land management strategy • Reduce blight • Reduce wind erosion • Reduce run-off of contaminated stormwater • Some site cleanup
ELKHART, INDIANA – DEVELOP LOCAL MARKET FOR HARVESTING URBAN WOOD Need: Local sourcing. Currently, importing 20 million wood panels/yr. Goal: Establish local source of wood, on a locally-managed network of former industrial brownfields & marginal farmland sites.
WHERE TO PLANT? BROWNFIELD SITES
WHAT TO PLANT? HYBRID POPLAR TREES
BENEFITS – Economic Benefits – Environmental Benefits: prevents soil erosion, removes contaminants, sequesters carbon. PARTNERS – Industry: Genesis Products Inc. – Government : City of Elkhart, IN – Non-Profit: Delta Institute – Non-Profit: Faith Mission
CONTINUING EFFORTS
MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN – INTERIM LAND MANAGEMENT Need: To reduce blight, create wind breaks, manage stormwater & spur reinvestment Goal: Meet needs by planting poplars on 15 acres
WHERE TO PLANT? BROWNFIELD SITES
BENEFITS – CONTAMINANT REDUCTION
3. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
THE PROBLEM – FROM THIS…
….. TO THIS G.I. AS PART OF THE SOLUTION
TOOLKIT FEATURES
TOOLKIT FEATURES 1. Decision support trees, basic information on green infrastructure
TOOLKIT FEATURES 1. Decision support trees, basic information on green infrastructure 2. Templates, plan sets, cross sections, and material specifications
TOOLKIT FEATURES 1. Decision support trees, basic information on green infrastructure 2. Templates, plan sets, cross sections, and material specifications 3. Estimation tools for installation and maintenance costs
FOR ENGINEERS Excerpt from Rain Garden section
FOR MUNICIPAL MANAGERS
DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT & OPEN SOURCE CAD FILES: www.bit.ly/greeninfrastructuretools
ONGOING EFFORTS: PILOTING
4. ASSET MAPPING
BROWNFIELDS AND VACANT LAND STRATEGIC PLANNING
ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES – Activities: • Analyze brownfield properties • Identify areas suitable for conservation • Choose decon locations • Calculate potential cost savings from abandonment of infrastructure/services • Oversee aggregation of land – Outcomes: • Prioritizing of properties for decon / aggregation of land • Achieve cost savings • Divestiture to conservation organizations
5. COMMUNITY-BASED BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT
THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION • Environmental Justice / Resource Constrained
THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION • Environmental Justice / Resource Constrained • Alternate Viewpoint Wants/Needs to be Made
THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION • Environmental Justice / Resource Constrained • Alternate Viewpoint Wants/Needs to be Made • Community Widely Impacted
RESULTS / BENEFITS • Environmental Justice / Resource Constrained
RESULTS / BENEFITS • Alternate Viewpoint Wants/Needs to be Made
RESULTS / BENEFITS • Community Widely Impacted
IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY PAIN POINTS AND AREAS FOR INTERVENTION
STAKEHOLDERS SHARE THEIR CHALLENGES AND NEEDS
JOURNEY ANALYSIS 1. BF Program Goal Development DEFINING 2. Site Identification 3. Site Data Collection and Analysis DESIGN 4. Goals + Analysis = Site Prioritization OPPORTUNITIES 5. Site Reuse Determination 73
AREAS FOR INTERVENTION • Decision Making Toolkit – Assess Readiness, Identify Program Goals • Site Identification and Data Collection • Site Ease of Redevelopment Analysis • Site Reuse Toolkit • Site Selection / Prioritization
ASSESSING SITES FOR EASE OF REDEVELOPMENT
Site Summaries Marketability Score: Vacant industrial lot 3.2 Acres 56.5 For sale, Privately owned 2-story, 87,000 (est.) sq. ft. building, FAR=1.22 “Easiest to Market ” Contamination still suggested Enrolled in Illinois Site Remediation Program Prelim. Suggested Reuse: “No Further Remediation” (NFR) Letter (2006) In Tax Increment Financing District (TIF) Industrial or Commercial Below average crime
Interpreting the scores • Low scores and/or areas that score low can identify areas to • Low scores and/or influence areas that score low = strengthen within your community or your brownfields program. areas to strengthen or adjust within the community • Can select from questions to simplify the scoring or create a or its brownfields program. customized scoring. • High scores and/or areas that score high = strengths • Can alter point distributions to reflect context in your community. without the community or program that can be leveraged and built upon.
Using scores/assessments to prioritize sites
TOOL CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT – LOOKING FOR PARTNERS! • • Low scores and/or areas that score low can identify areas to Electronic Version in Public Domain/Open Source strengthen within your community or your brownfields program. • Alter point distributions to reflect context in individual • Can select from questions to simplify the scoring or create a community. customized scoring. • Can alter point distributions to reflect context in your community. • Ability to create brief electronic site summaries of opportunities and challenges that drive site scores
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