The Ontario Government has prioritized the redevelopment and intensification of brownfields (previously used and potentially contaminated lands) to accommodate urban growth in key strategic areas. This blog draws on three research studies to examine progress in the assessment, remediation, and redevelopment of brownfields in Ontario since late 2004, when the government updated the cleanup regime and started implementing urban intensification strategies.
Overall, the research finds that brownfield reuse activity has been rather extensive in scale, character, and value during the time periods examined, particularly in Toronto’s strong market. Notwithstanding the important barriers identified by the private sector, cleanup and planning policy seem to be working together. Dense redevelopment is occurring in areas identified by the provincial growth plan and by municipal Community Improvement Plans (CIP), thus aligning with the prime sustainability objective of growing in and up instead of out. Changing land use and increasing density in CIP and other locations seem to be key municipal tools for supporting brownfield reuse, although more can be done in terms of financial support and streamlining approvals, particularly in weaker markets and smaller cities surrounded by clean greenfields.