The changing interpretation of the term brownfield

Abstract

The term brownfield, originating in the 1970s, that was used for a long time to describe a difficult problem in an urban landscape, has nowadays become a central element of sustainable urban development. The study shows this process of transformation, focusing on the semantic genesis of the term. The term, which emerged in the United States, was – in Europe – presumably first commonly used in England, the motherland of the Industrial Revolution, although it was restricted to a narrowly defined description of former industrial estates. Through the change and broadening of the term, it now describes contaminated sites in the USA, and previously used and now abandoned sites in Europe. A similar field, although less debated, concerns both the necessity and the possibility of rehabilitation and has increasingly become a part of sustainable regional management. Rehabilitation being a complex issue, possibilities of intermediate or temporary use have been given priority in Western Europe due to benefits that are based on several aspects. This approach, which could also be successfully used in Hungary, is intended to prevent further decay of a site. It is both cost-effective and helps the area in question to remain open to the public. Temporary use is the first step to re-introducing a site into circular land use. Considering both original function and established usage, three basic categories can be distinguished: traditional brownfields, transitional brownfields marked as greyfields and, the most controversial term, potential brownfields. Although Hungary is trying to adapt to EU regulations, there is no single standard definition to date. The most commonly used definitions only refer to the traditional brownfields. The author suggests a standard definition based on the dual nature of brownfields (Yount 2003) to simplify identification, listing and distinction of the areas defined as brownfields. She also points out the necessity to expand the inventory of areas defined as brownfields, because the emphasis is likely to shift from traditional brownfields to the other two site categories in the future.