Sustainable Brownfield Regeneration: CABERNET Network Report

Chapter 5: Summary Message:• CABERNET has identified a number of barriers to, and opportunities for,sustainable brownfield regeneration• Institutional structures can facilitate or hinder the regeneration process.• Effective public-private partnerships, that have been designed to bridge thecost-value gap that often prevents the commercial regeneration ofmany marginally non-viable brownfield sites, should be exempt from EUcompetition policy• EU and Member State funding is necessary for, and should be used, toreturn non-viable sites to beneficial use (e.g. permanent or transitional lowintensityactivities)• Environmental issues can catalyse brownfield regeneration raisingenvironmental, social and economic benefits when targeted at sustainabilityin a balanced and integrated approach. A simplistic sectorial regulatoryapproach, e.g. focusing on waste, hinders regeneration• Critical evaluation of the role of dedicated agencies is required to get a betterunderstanding of their potential impact• There is a need for a specific strategic approach for brownfield regenerationat the local government level if the objective of competitive urbanenvironments is to be achieved• Streamlined decision-making is needed in order to make brownfieldregeneration competitive with development on greenfield52