Brownfield Greening for Urban Resilience: A Transnational Pilot Approach

Brownfield greening - Turning abandoned urban sites into green spaces — is a way of giving new life to land that has long been neglected. Once remediated (if needed), these brownfields can be transformed into parks, nature corridors, or community green areas — improving air quality, supporting biodiversity, and community well-being. In some cases, even without full redevelopment, brownfields start to regenerate on their own, with spontaneous vegetation and valuable habitats forming over time. In the face of growing urban pressures and the urgent need for sustainable transitions, brownfields offer a strategic opportunity to regenerate cities in an ecological, inclusive, and resilient manner.

Preliminary findings from Flanders (Belgium) reveal a vast potential to transform these areas into multifunctional green infrastructure. Yet, most brownfield redevelopments in the region remain economically driven (∼70%), with only a small fraction dedicated to green spaces (12%). The spontaneous natural regeneration that occurs on many of these sites —representing low-cost, nature-based solutions—is still largely overlooked or undervalued in urban planning processes.

Not all brownfields require the same type of intervention, and redevelopment should consider site-specific characteristics. The lack of standardized guidelines to map, characterize, assess, and monitor the ecological and social value of brownfields, combined with the absence of replicable management protocols, is a major obstacle to their sustainable integration. Therefore, it is important to characterize them properly and select the right approaches in order to maximise benefits for both biodiversity and humans.

GOALS

This project aims to take the next step: co-developing and piloting a management protocol for urban brownfields, in collaboration with international partners. By selecting a case study area in Belgium, and comparing it with similar sites in at least two other European countries, we aim to:

1. Assess the ecological, social, and functional baseline of each site (biodiversity, pollutants land use, community needs).

2. Estimate the urban ecosystem services that each site would provide (social and ecological).

3. Based on the characteristics and value of each site, determine the potential for conservation, greening, or redevelopment.

4. Develop planning and monitoring tools to guide sustainable urban regeneration.

5. Compare results between countries and disseminate replicable strategies and recommendations that contribute to restoration, urban transition, and environmental justice agendas.

By bridging ecological science, social needs and urban planning, this project envisions transforming today’s brownfields into living laboratories for sustainable urban futures.

PROSPECTIVE PARTNERS

To build a strong, interdisciplinary, and impactful consortium, we are looking for partners that can contribute complementary expertise, data, and local contexts to co-develop sustainable and resilient strategies for urban brownfields across Europe. As well as partners who may wish to coordinate the call. Specifically, we seek:

1. Urban Ecology & Biodiversity Monitoring

●       Assessing spontaneous vegetation, urban biodiversity, and soil health.

●       Monitoring ecological restoration and ecosystem services over time.

●       Designing indicators and low-cost ecological assessment tools.

2. Urban Planning & Regeneration

●       Brownfield redevelopment, circular land use, or nature-based solutions.

●       Urban transition frameworks.

●       Integration of ecological criteria in planning and zoning instruments.

3. Community Engagement & Social Sciences

●       Organizations or researchers with experience in:

●       Participatory approaches and co-creation processes with local residents.

●       Socio-spatial justice, environmental perception, and inclusion in urban design.

●       Working with municipalities and grassroots actors to foster civic involvement.

4. Technical Tools & Digital Platforms

●       Tools for mapping ecosystem services or visualizing land use scenarios.

●       Digital solutions for participatory monitoring or decision-making support.

●       Data platforms to consolidate case study findings across countries.

5. Pilot Site Access

Institutions, municipalities or NGOs that:

●       Have access to brownfield sites or post-industrial lands suitable for ecological regeneration.

●       Can provide spatial and historical data about land use, contamination, or prior interventions.

●       Are interested in testing and showcasing local pilot interventions.

We welcome partners from research institutions, local governments, civil society organizations, and innovation hubs with a demonstrated interest in sustainable urban transformation, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

CONTACT DETAILS

Jeremy Donaire - donaire297@gmail.com