Land Reuse Skyrockets, According to ECS Report

Danielle Jackson

Exton, Pa. -- ECS Inc. second annual Land Reuse Report has found that more land is being recycled, more people appear to be comfortable living near or on recycled land, and those involved with redevelopment are finding more creative ways to fund redevelopment.

According to the report, more than 112,000 acres of land are in the process of being recycled, compared with 47,000 acres last year.

The report is based on national news coverage: researchers analyzed 317 newspaper and business journal articles published on Brownfields development from July 2000 to May 2001.

The report also found several Brownfields trends: comfort levels with Brownfields redevelopment continue to grow; a number of states consistently appear at the forefront of Brownfields redevelopment activity; public sector involvement continues to grow; public-private partnerships are finding new ways to fund redevelopment through tax increment financing, insurance assistance and low-interest loans; future uses tend to be more for residential, office and recreational uses rather than industrial; and although communities are more comfortable, health and safety concerns continue to prevail.