Current Research

Brownfields Funding In Canada

Examining the Role of Public Funding and Financing Incentives in Supporting Brownfield Redevelopment in Canada


Funder: SSHRC Insight Grant Program (2023-2027)

PI Christopher De Sousa, School of Urban and Regional Planning
Collaborator James Tischler, Visiting Fellow University of Windsor Law Centre for Cities, Development Director, Michigan State Land Bank Authority

Research Questions: The research explores four main questions:
(1) What government incentives are available in Canada to support brownfield assessment, remediation, and redevelopment?
(2) How have they been applied by federal, provincial, and local governments to support clean-up and redevelopment?
(3) What redevelopment outcomes have been realized, and how effective have incentives been according to developers, lenders, and environmental contractors?
(4) Can promising incentives from within Canada or other jurisdictions (US, UK) support conventional brownfield redevelopment and advance sustainability-oriented projects?

Brownfields Funding In Canada: Overview

Ontario Municipal Brownfield Policies