Optimising value from the soft re-use of brownfield sites

•The FP7 HOMBRE project has been investigating the soft re-use of brownfield sites.•The multiple benefits of soft re-uses of brownfields may not be easy to value.•Considering specific project services provides a way of examining overall value.•“Overall value” combines tangible & nontangible elements, linked to sustainability.•Conceptual site models can be used to clearly describe services & sustainability.

Soft re-use of brownfields describes intended temporary or final re-uses of brownfield sites which are not based on built constructions or infrastructure ('hard' re-use). Examples of soft re-uses include the creation of public green space. These are essentially uses where the soil is not sealed. Often the case for soft re-use of brownfields has not been easy to demonstrate in strictly financial terms. The purpose of this paper is to describe a value based approach to identify and optimise services provided by the restoration of brownfields to soft re-uses, on a permanent or interim basis. A 'Brownfield Opportunity Matrix' is suggested as means of identifying and discussing soft restoration opportunities. The use of 'sustainability linkages' is suggested as a means of understanding the sustainability of the services under consideration and providing a structure for the overall valuation of restoration work, for example as part of design or option appraisal processes, or to support the solicitation of interest in a project.

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