Increasing residential development activity on urban brownfields: An examination of redevelopment trends, developer perceptions, and future prospects

Funding Agency: National Academies: HUD (Housing and Urban Development) Urban Scholars Postdoctoral Fellowship

The purpose of this project is to address four critical research questions:

  • What have been the patterns of residential brownfield redevelopment activity in Milwaukee and Chicago in terms of scale, character, value and other key market variables since 1995;
  • Why is brownfield redevelopment perceived as being less cost-effective and more risky than greenfield redevelopment for profit and affordable housing?
  • Is government intervention important in this domain and, if so, to what extent and in what ways?
  • What implications does the project have for mapping out a strategy for future redevelopment issues in the cities of Milwaukee and Chicago specifically, and what broader implications does it have for redevelopment generally?