Recovering urban land: an integrative approach to improve Brownfield redevelopment practices: case of Shenzhen, China

Brownfields are previously developed urban lands that remain idle or under-utilized within urban core, commonly associated with old industrial sites, as the legacy of industrialization. Their redevelopment provides alternative land use options for urban development activities and thus a way to preserve land resources. Despite that they represent a lucrative opportunity for sustainable development and urbanization, some redevelopment practices have been unsuccessful in defiance of cautious plans whereas others have been successful without any plan. This means that adequate information and techniques to support planners in identifying and prioritizing brownfields for redevelopment is still lacking. To address the gaps, an integrative approach is devised based on two conceptual frameworks, using the methods of Multi Criteria Evaluation (MCE). To illustrate the application of the approach, we take Shenzhen as a case study to discuss issues of how to identify potential brownfields with a combination of accessible local information; and how to prioritize candidate brownfields by evaluating their potential for redevelopment. Local data including land use data, demographic data, taxation and environmental records of 2005 and development plan for 2006-2010 have been utilized for the study. We conclude that this approach properly responds to the increasing need of identifying potential brownfield sites and prioritizing candidate sites for redevelopment. It represents a testbed for planners to develop better informed urban land use plans and policies with respect to brownfield redevelopment in an increasing urbanizing world. Discussions on the social and spatial implications of redevelopment practices are put forward for future research.