Evaluating brownfield redevelopment projects: A review of existing sustainability indicator tools and their adoption by the UK development industry

Abstract

There is a plethora of sustainability indicator tools, yet their capacity to monitor the sustainability of Brownfield redevelopment projects is questionable. Furthermore, there is a lack of knowledge about the actual extent to which these tools are being utilised by the development industry. This paper reviews the applicability of sustainability indicator tools to Brownfield redevelopment projects and assesses their capacity to evaluate sustainability throughout the life cycle of such projects, from project conception, design and planning, through construction and remediation to operation and recycling. The results of a survey sent to more than 900 developers in the UK exploring how, and to what extent they assess or monitor the sustainability of their developments are presented. Results indicate that currently there is no sustainability indicator tool designed specifically for brownfield redevelopment projects, and that uptake of existing tools in the development industry is poor. The paper concludes by considering developers' own proposals to overcome the barriers to the adoption of such tools.