The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program (AWP) assists communities in responding to local brownfields challenges, particularly where multiple brownfield sites are in close proximity, connected by infrastructure, and limit the economic, environmental, and social prosperity of their surroundings.
Establish a road map for development in your community through the comprehensive AWP process:
Coalition Building: Create a broad coalition for the project, both at the steering committee level and the local community level. The residents and community groups in the project area are the experts on the sites and provide critical background and context.
Planning Context: Collect all local, regional, transportation, open space, and stormwater plans for the project.
Mapping: Before beginning the project make sure you have a comprehensive set of shape files for the project area.
Technical Assistance: Connect with your local Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) provider to identify methodologies for brownfield inventories and prioritization development.
Data: Cross check environmental data from EPA and state environmental agency. Consult historical land use maps to confirm past uses of properties. Include an element of ground truthing at a public meeting with residents.
Real Estate and Market Analyses: Ensure you are drawing from a comprehensive marketed real estate data source such as U.S. Census, ESRI, RICE Inc., or Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To learn more about the Camden Area Wide Planning Effort, click here.
