There are an estimated 450,000 to 600,000 brownfields sites nationwide, with over 10,000 in New Jersey alone, according to a report in AIA’s Angle. Developing these contaminated, abandoned sites, which are often in central urban locations, can spur further growth in the surrounding area.
In order to encourage brownfields development, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., (D-NJ) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Newark and Suburban chapters recently collaborated to organize a brownfields roundtable in New Jersey that included representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Office of State Planning. Panelists suggested that limiting liability, increasing communication between interested parties and various government entities, and simplifying the remediation and funding process could expedite the development of these sites.
Based on a report from ANGLE, published by the American Institute of Architects
