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Brownfield sites as building blocks for sustainable urban environments: a view on international experience in redeveloping former military sites

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Abstract

This paper picks the argument and rationale of military base redevelopment as one example of brownfield land regeneration, and adopts a comparative analysis using examples from the United Kingdom, Germany and Jordan to highlight experiences, lessons, and map out the potential for further study. Around the world, projects for redeveloping former military bases include new housing developments, shopping centres and universities alongside recreational facilities and museums. In addition to promoting government targets for brownfield housing development, the need to reduce Ministry of Defence spending has been the driving force in redeveloping military land in the UK. The case of Vauban (Germany) on the other hand clearly demonstrates how community involvement can play a central role in redeveloping a former military base. In the Jordanian case, the examination of available sources indicates that although development on military sites has been promoted by a political commitment to ‘sustainable’ urban regeneration, economic self-interest appears to triumph over environmental and community concerns in the conversion process. This has generally been developer driven. The paper goes on to argue that the challenge in military base conversion and redevelopment, like other brownfield sites, will be to guarantee competitive advantages through revenue-generating activities that can transform these sites into reliable and sustainable economic opportunities while looking after the interests of all the parties concerned.

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Notes

  1. The report is the output of the Expert Working Group on Urban Design for Sustainability, reporting to the European Expert Group on the Urban Environment and Environment Directorate of The European Commission to inform the European Union's Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment.

  2. See www.brac.gov/finalreport.asp. Accessed on 01.02.2006.

  3. Accessed on 31.01.2006; http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060120-12340.html. In a News Release dated 20 January 2006, the US Department of Defence announced the realignment of military installations in Belgium arguing that these actions will allow the US Air Forces in Europe to realise ‘efficiency and cost savings’.

  4. Accessed on 23.11.2005; http://www.defra.gov.uk/Science/GeneticResources/Access/In-Situ/MOD.asp.

  5. Accessed on 16.08.2004; http://www.bcda.gov.ph/aboutus.asp.

  6. Accessed on 18.09.2004: http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=18360yNACy65jhLO4oA4om2ZaIhADGtW.

  7. Accessed on 18.09.2004: http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=29446bEvzhppC3yNbnNDdVr7VDXKxp2K.

  8. Accessed on 30 .01.2006; http://www.omegaopportunity.com/

  9. Accessed on 10.09.2004; http://www.forum-vauban.de/history.shtml

  10. Accessed on 04.09.2004; http://www.vauban.de/info/abstract.html

  11. In 2002, Vauban made a submission for the 2002 Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment, where it became one of 40 finalists.

  12. Accessed on 10.09.2004; http://www.forum-vauban.de/tasks.shtml

  13. Last accessed on 05.09.2004; http://www.MAWARED.jo/index.php

  14. Accessed on 12.08.2004; http://www.MAWARED.jo/frame.php?menu_id=34&lang=1&open=24

  15. Accessed on 12.08.2004; http://www.MAWARED.jo/frame.php?menu_id=41&lang=1&open=31

  16. Report dated 22 March 2005, accessed on 25.05.2006, at http://www.menareport.com/en/business/195778

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  1. Department of Geography and Environment, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, UK

    Samer Ghaleb Bagaeen

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  1. Samer Ghaleb Bagaeen
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Correspondence to Samer Ghaleb Bagaeen.

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Bagaeen, S. Brownfield sites as building blocks for sustainable urban environments: a view on international experience in redeveloping former military sites. Urban Des Int 11, 117–128 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.udi.9000168

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