Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Brownfields Pilots - Lessons Learned
Fact Sheet for Local and State Stakeholders
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are working together under the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (PSC) to
ensure that federal investments, policies, and actions support development that is more efficient and sustainable. In February
2010, the Partnership selected five Brownfields pilots—in Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana;
Iowa City, Iowa; and National City, California—to receive direct technical assistance from EPA.
The goals for these projects were to:
• Quickly develop and build upon existing working relationships between HUD, DOT, EPA, and local stakeholders;
• Identify barriers and opportunities for programmatic and policy changes across the three agencies;
• Maximize the impact of available federal resources on transit, housing, and brownfields;
• Ensure the equitable redevelopment of brownfields near transit; and
• Gather lessons for implementing area-wide planning approaches.
This fact sheet describes overarching principles for developing successful PSC projects. It also presents lessons learned
related to fostering meaningful participation, building partnerships, scoping and project planning, and implementing
revitalization plans. The lessons learned were identified by pilot stakeholders representing the local, state, regional, and
federal levels, as well as the government, community based, nonprofit, and private sectors.
Overarching Principles
• Be flexible. As projects move forward, project scopes
can change as new information is discovered or
priorities change. A comprehensive communication
strategy can help project partners adjust. This can allow
the project to improve its course and add more value.
• Set realistic expectations. Establish scopes of work
and communication mechanisms with stakeholders that
reflect the goals and expected outcomes of the project.
• Think green from the beginning. There is a
strong interest in the areas of green building, green
infrastructure, urban agriculture, fresh food access, local
economic development, local contracting, multimodal
transportation options, and equitable transit oriented
development (TOD).
• Address Displacement. Consider that displacement
and gentrification issues are serious local concerns;
revitalization planning must seek to preserve existing
neighborhoods as much as possible, while adding
density and services in a context-sensitive way.
• Define clear goals and metrics of success.
Many of the definitions of sustainable neighborhood
development are high level (e.g., walkable, livable)
and require consideration of complicated and typically
divided systems (e.g., water management, energy
management, transportation, or housing). It can be
helpful to define sustainability for the local community,
create a set of metrics to guide and measure project
outcomes, or use an established checklist to guide
project decisions (e.g., Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design-Neighborhood Development
(LEED-ND), elements of Green Communities, or the
Sustainable Sites Criteria). In addition, it can be helpful
to identify or develop metrics that evaluate success on
behalf of multiple agencies or groups. Further, linking
specific funding opportunities to the achievement of this
definition can focus the work of project teams.
Understand market conditions. Doing so informs
the feasibility of the work being conducted, which itself
helps identify priority activities and areas for focus.
Discussions with the private market players needed for
project implementation are critical.
Recognize that innovative solutions may require
research and testing. Pilot programs through local
and state agencies enable projects to test/implement
new strategies (e.g., low impact development strategies)
and technologies that would not otherwise have been
approved given current policies/regulations. This allows
new strategies to be tested without an overall change
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Successful projects rely on strong partnerships that include local,
state, and federal government. Here, local representatives from
several departments within the City of the Iowa City are working
with EPA, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and consultants
to discuss and plan the Iowa City pilot
to city guidelines. The downside to the pilot approach
is that these strategies/technologies may not be
implemented city-wide through policy changes.
• Incentives could push sustainability and
connectivity further. Specific sustainability
performance achievements (whether through height
or density bonuses, design assistance funding, etc.)
that target walkability, bikeability, and/or connectivity
encourage more projects to target these goals in future
development.
• Create durable processes. Success is maximized
and longer lived when the projects provide replicable
models of decision making that can be applied to other
geographies or issues.
• Visions can drive investment. Successful
assessment, remediation and redevelopment of
contaminated properties are maximized when the
neighborhoods or districts in which they reside have
community-based, neighborhood, or master plans that
articulate a formally adopted vision for future uses.
• Plan for implementation. Efforts that include a detailed
implementation plan demonstrate a higher level of
organization and local capacity, which can make it
easier to acquire project funding. Implementation plan
elements may include: a timeline and plan for property
acquisition, cleanup, reuse planning, site improvements,
and development; an infrastructure improvement
plan; and an overall funding strategy and partner
commitments.
Fostering Meaningful
Participation
• Include all project stakeholders in the planning
process. When planning for community meetings to
inform and get input about projects, it is critical that
all project stakeholders are involved (i.e., contractors,
the city, local non-governmental organizations
(NGO), developers, and community residents). Being
inclusive from the start provides an opportunity for
stakeholders to voice support or dissent, suggest new
ideas, and more robustly inform the planning process.
Although it can slow project timelines, an inclusive,
open public process can dramatically enhance the
quality of revitalization planning, ensuring it meets the
needs of residents.
• Commit to expanding "the table" early in the
project. At some visceral level, people understand
the benefits of expanding the project table to
accommodate participation from diverse stakeholders.
However, people with authority over the planning
process do not always recognize that this can actually
yield project outcomes with better design elements,
improved durability, and the ability to more equitably
meet community needs. From the outset, the planning
process should commit to including these voices
to ensure it does not inadvertently limit meaningful
participation. Doing so can coalesce support for
revitalization goals and leverage funding and other
resource commitments.
• Pursue outcomes that serve the diversity of the
community. Projects should prioritize the participation
of a variety of stakeholders to fully represent the
community's diversity, and project outcomes should
be directly linked to the needs and preferences of
local stakeholders. Taking steps to incorporate diverse
stakeholder input into the planning process and
project goals promotes more equitable outcomes.
• Commit to reach communities where they are. Do
not presume that you can create sufficient incentives
to bring people to your meetings. It takes time to think
creatively about how to engage people effectively and
developing an engagement plan that meets people
where they are. It is not the most efficient path initially,
but may pay off later through increased community
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support for the project. Public sector investment
in planning and public participation can support
developers that do not have the resources to do this
type of pre-development work.
• Build lasting representative organizational
capacity. Revitalization projects, such as the PSC
Brownfields pilots, take months or years to complete.
The expectation that a project will engage and
sustain resident participation for months and years is
unreasonable. Projects can be guided by governing
structures (e.g., working groups, advisory committees)
that are reflective of the community affected by the
project. Having organizations that are credible and
represent perspectives of marginalized residents
participate in a governing body can foster long-term
organizational capacity.
Building Partnerships
• Cross-jurisdictional partnerships can enhance
project success. State and local agencies, private
stakeholders, and community organizations often
have common, long-term interests but competing
short-term priorities that can limit coordination
among these groups. By purposefully establishing
new cross-jurisdictional partnerships (e.g.,
partnerships between local, state, and federal
governments, or between community development
groups), project stakeholders can benefit from
working together rather than competing against one
another to achieve long-term transportation, land
use, housing, or environmental goals.
• Think long term. Just as every revitalization project
is different, the best partnership to advance a
project and lead to better outcomes will vary
from project to project. However, partnerships
that maintain momentum through regular and
effective collaboration are generally more effective
than those that dissipate after a short time.
Regular collaboration may be facilitated through
formal approaches including Intergovernmental
Agreements, mandates from elected leadership,
formal advisory committees, and financial or
in-kind staff contributions from partners (where
ongoing participation is a function of their financial
management responsibilities). Less formally,
partnerships can be maintained by a partnership
leader or through the development of a collaboration
plan.
• Build bridges early. Where a non-governmental entity
is the project lead, it is critical to coordinate this effort
with city goals and stakeholders at the beginning of
the project to avoid conflict and build mutual capacity.
This can be a critical step in maximizing success for
the project and in building and protecting long-term
partnership potential.
Scoping and Project Planning
• Understand project needs to ensure success.
Early and thorough investigation of project needs
through regular meetings, conference calls, and
email communication is critical for successful
implementation. This is crucial in creating reliable
timelines, tasks and budgets.
• Use multiple communication tools for consistency.
Managing multiple, related sub-projects requires
enhanced communication—including numerous
conference calls, consistent email (individual and
group), and Web-based training—in order to balance
federal, state, and local priorities.
• Open the project with an open dialogue. Holding a
kickoff meeting for general and project introductions
provides a forum in which all stakeholders can
communicate their priorities and available resources;
it also will assist in understanding project needs and
maximize chances for successful implementation.
• Identify resources and capacity. Figure out what
each state and local agency can bring to the table
and how those resources can make the most out of
strategic linkages. Sometimes it takes working on
projects over time to identify these synergies.
• Account for policy limitations. Identify applicable
local plans, requirements or policies (e.g., land
use, stormwater, housing). City policies may limit
the implementation and effectiveness of strategies.
Evaluate existing land use codes, policies, etc. to
evaluate whether or not they pose obstacles. Identify
how these policies can be changed if needed (state
legislation, local code amendment, site by site
variances, etc.).
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Developing graphical renderings, such as this area-wide concept
plan, can make plans more realistic for project stakeholders,
generating momentum for revitalization
• Account for cross cutting issues. Look beyond
project boundaries to ensure a comprehensive
approach and solution. For example, stormwater
does not follow property lines. A regional basin or
watershed approach to stormwater issues (e.g.,
flooding, water quality) may allow for a more
comprehensive and appropriate solution.
• Language matters. Use terminology consistent
with that of potential revenue streams (public and
philanthropic grants) to help maximize the future
financial support for implementation. Those groups
could/should be part of the dialogue at project
inception through completion.
• Think regionally. Consider the regional impact
and demand for the local project. For example,
improving pedestrian and bicycle connectivity within
the neighborhood could limit automobile movement
through the neighborhood; and custom bike racks
may incur additional costs for maintenance and repair.
Projects should identify and consider city and regional
plans, processes, and requirements when evaluating
goals and strategies.
Implementing Revitalization
Plans
• Existing plans can maximize investment.
Applying state and local assistance to projects
that have already developed a Master Plan and/or
Neighborhood Plan can help a community to further
refine a project's design and maximize implementation
feasibility.
• Base decisions on reliable information. Data, fact-
based evidence, and scientific analysis can inform the
planning effort and garner project support. In some
situations, introducing data to demonstrate the benefit
of approaches (e.g., return on investment for selecting
greener technologies) can provide clarity and
understanding critical to gaining stakeholder support
for a project's sustainability elements. In addition,
data can be used to provide the foundation for more
in-depth and substantive stakeholder discussions to
advance understanding beyond a conceptual level or
to help resolve disputes.
• Present technical information clearly. Presenting
technical information when the audience is both
technical and non-technical can be challenging, but
is often necessary. In public forums, breakout groups
can be used to organize an audience into different skill
sets, where some may focus on technical or design
issues while others address policy or implementation.
• Use graphics to convey technical concepts.
Translating conceptual plans into easily
understandable visual graphics (e.g., 3-D images and
water color sketches that show envisioned density
levels, general building types, and greenspace) helps
increase buy-in and understanding and demonstrates
potential impacts to community members.
• Capitalize on local information sharing resources.
There should be a knowledge management resource/
database at the state or local level that can provide
lessons learned, precedents, case studies, and
funding resources utilized by similar projects.
Suggested media includes interactive websites,
videos, etc.
www.epa.gov/brownfie/ds/partnership.htm
www.sustainabiecommunities.gov
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