Hosted by the Center for Creative Land Recycling, this Forum brought together a diverse range of stakeholders to strengthen attendee’s knowledge of revitalizing brownfields in an environmental justice and equitable development framework. The Forum focused on the historic industrial, residential, and commercial corridors of Alameda and Contra Costa counties and help East Bay communities prepare for a large influx of federal and state funding for land use initiatives. The original event description is as follows:

Environmental and social justice can drive a successful brownfield project by integrating early engagement between property owners, developers, and the community. This tactic leads to better planned and more successful projects in the long-run. How can success be driven by an understanding of the local culture and character of the community? How can your organization identify and articulate how your project addresses equity, environmental justice, and public health? And how can you build an environmental justice framework for your brownfield project which is informed by local conditions, as well as the policies supported by your local municipality?

Attendees will constructively engage with reuse practitioners and professionals through presentations and facilitated discussions on land use, health and wellness, funding sources, local culture, and housing policy relative to the beneficial reuse of brownfields. The Forum will:
– Highlight local best practices and guidelines for equitable land reuse and share ways to integrate environmental justice principles into cities and counties’ land use policy framework.
– Identify key local organizations and resources, allowing attendees to engage with fellow practitioners and regulators, form partnerships, and learn from one another.
– Demonstrate how equitable redevelopment is integral to pillars of community health and wellbeing, economic development, housing affordability, and the availability and delivery of goods and services in the pandemic era.

The Forum is part of CCLR’s 2022 SF East Bay Environmental Justice Initiative series, which will also include two free webinars and a publication on the topic. The CCLR East Bay Environmental Justice Initiative is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Groundwork USA, with funding support from Wells Fargo and Union Bank.

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