Urban Development | Brownfield Action Planning

Six communities receive awards in pilot round

Congratulations to the following communities!

Each community will receive technical assistance to create a brownfield action plan and grant funding for implementation. The full press release is available here.


How does the Brownfield Action Plan Pilot Program work?

The Brownfield Action Plan Pilot Program will provide technical assistance to brownfield-impacted communities to create a plan for redevelopment. Upon completion and certification of the Action Plan by the state, the applicant will be awarded grant funding to help jump-start implementation activities outlined in their Action Plan.

The program is intended to help communities build capacity, develop partnerships, gather ideas from the public, and collect and organize the information needed to redevelop brownfields successfully. Upon completion of the Plan, communities will be better prepared to conduct assessments and cleanup activities, apply for grant and loan funding, market their property to developers, and utilize limited funds effectively.


What is Brownfield Action Planning?

Brownfield Action Planning is the process of creating a strategy for the redevelopment of a brownfield-impacted area that will result in quick and noticeable results. This type of planning utilizes two particularly innovative approaches that differ from typical planning:

1. Area-wide approach - Because many neighborhoods, corridors, and blocks are affected by the presence of multiple brownfields, planning for the entire brownfield-impacted area results in more comprehensive, appropriate solutions.

2. Focus on implementation - The brownfield planning process will conclude with a meeting focused on implementation. Instead of the plan lying dormant once complete, the implementation process will begin immediately, helped in part by seed money awarded as part of the pilot program.


Brownfield Area-Wide Planning Workshop

Below you will find links to the presentations from the 'Implementing an Area-Wide Plan in Region V: Building Local, State, and Federal Partnerships' workshop.

Background on Area-Wide Planning: Key Elements and Benefits
Mara D'Angelo, Smart Growth America
Diane Alecusan, Ohio Department of Development
Adhir Kackar, US EPA Office of Sustainable Communities

Insights from the Federal Area-Wide Planning Pilot Program
Aimee Storm, US EPA Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization

Insights from the Winning Applicants
Andy Blake, Ranson, West Virginia
Stephanie Howse, Cleveland, Ohio
J. Justin Woods, Ogdensburg, New York

Virginia Tech Application Content Analysis
Joe Schilling, Metropolitan Institute, Virginia Tech

Available Resources at the State and Federal Level
Mary Oakley, Ohio Department of Development
Adhir Kackar, US EPA Office of Sustainable Communities
Mara D'Angelo, Smart Growth America
William Murdock, Ohio Department of Development