Support sustainable redevelopment of brownfields to permit intensified growth in urban centers
There is a growing trend for developments to build upward rather than outward, resulting in taller residential towers, higher density urban areas, containment of urban sprawl, and reduction of green space encroachment. This trend also keeps in mind the increasing cost of land, which is particularly common in cities and urban centers. From a sustainability perspective, industrial sites, and commercial locations where contamination is expected to exist, such as automotive repair facilities and former dry cleaners – also known as brownfields – offer a prime opportunity for redevelopment, facility expansions, and land use rezoning.
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The Challenge
Brownfield redevelopments often require significant consultation and the integration of a multi-disciplinary team of individuals, including the site developer, owner, engineering and environmental firms, and lawyers. The surrounding natural environment can also present a challenge, as elements like the natural habitat of protected species and surface water can come with regulations that redevelopments must consider. Brownfield redevelopments must also manage the interests of multiple stakeholders, including the concerns of local citizens.
Our Approach
When working on the redevelopment of brownfields, RWDI offers multi-disciplinary expertise and can:
- Manage required studies, including environmental impact studies, contaminated site assessment, and energy efficiency reports to streamline the process of achieving site plan approval
- Perform air quality studies to ensure emissions dispersion complies with environmental regulations
- Evaluate the impacts of local industries on the project site by performing an air emissions study
- Execute noise studies to investigate potential effects of construction noise on neighbors and recommend mitigation options
- Develop waste management strategies for the new building to assist with design
- Provide support to meet environmental compliance approval (ECA) requirements for waste, storm water and wastewater management
- Harness knowledge of various Green Standards to streamline the development approval process
- Calculate project dust emissions and develop efficient, site-specific solutions for reduction
- Conduct vibration studies to determine impacts from onsite construction or nearby infrastructure and recommend mitigation measures to ensure adherence to planning guidelines
- Evaluate the impacts of shadow and sunlight exposure on and around the site through a sun & shade analysis
The Outcome
RWDI’s team of experts leverages years of experience across multiple disciplines to meet the challenges associated with the redevelopment of brownfields. Our team’s proven track record of success instills confidence that the site will be cleaned up to meet future use standards and pass regulatory approvals. RWDI is also able to streamline the process of obtaining a Certificate of Property Use (CPU) and Records of Site Condition. This is consistently done using cost-effective solutions while embracing sustainability practices.