Brownfield Redevelopment: Sustainable Solutions for Abandoned Industrial Sites
With Europe’s goal of no net land take by 2050, governments in Belgium encourage the redevelopment of brownfields instead of carving out new areas (greenfields) for industrial activities, housing, or recreation. Sweco provides targeted guidance to developers, ensuring economically and technically feasible projects.
Brownfield redevelopment is achieved through brownfield covenants between project developers and landowners (actors), and facilitating, subsidizing, and licensing authorities (directors). In 2021, over 75% of the brownfield covenants in Flanders had to address contamination issues [source]. In the Walloon Region, eight million m³ of soil is being excavated each year [source].
Integrating soil quality and soil contamination considerations into the masterplan or redevelopment plan from the beginning of your brownfield project is highly beneficial for later stages, such as remediation and construction.
Comprehensive Guidance from Start to Finish
Our soil experts, urban planners, spatial planners, engineers and sustainability experts support you throughout the entire brownfield process, offering valuable insights into the opportunities that contaminated soil can present. Our multidisciplinary approach includes:
- Feasibility Study: investigating the feasibility of your brownfield project
- Covenant Application: drawing up a brownfield covenant application
- Contamination Approach: aligning soil contamination strategies with future land use, optimally aligning subsoil and topsoil
- Permitting & Licensing Support: managing the entire permitting process. We can fully relieve the client by coordinating all necessary studies, documentation, and applications, ensuring the process is efficient, compliant, and timely.
- Operational Phase: conducting soil surveys to accurately map the often complex contamination situation
- Soil remediation: providing smart, sustainable solutions that comply with environmental legislation and financial objectives
By involving Sweco in the preparatory phase of your brownfield project, you receive targeted guidance. This ensures an economically and technically feasible project within the framework of legislation on earthmoving, soil remediation and soil protection.
We provide smart, sustainable solutions that:
- Comply with environmental legislation
- Meet financial objectives
- Minimize risks
- Optimize costs
- Accelerate the project timeline
Revitalizing Strategic Sites with Sustainable Solutions
We work closely with all stakeholders to ensure a transparent process from initiative to realization. Our innovative solutions and extensive knowledge of laws and regulations enable us to tackle complex redevelopment projects effectively. Our integrated approach offers you the opportunity to revitalize existing, strategically located sites, adding value to the property and its surroundings. This way, you not only create valuable new spaces but also stay at the forefront of sustainable spatial transition, repurposing sites that deliver economic, environmental and social returns.
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