Greyfield redevelopment : a growth management opportunity

The built landscape of the United States began to change dramatically after World War II. Federal Housing Administration guaranteed loans, the rise in automobile use, and Euclidian zoning all coincided to encourage growth further from the cities at a rapid rate. After fifty years the problems associated with this sprawl pattern of development have forced municipalities to examine more sustainable development patterns. Greyfield properties are considered the declining, underperforming and vacant shopping centers, big-box properties and malls. They are symbols of an unsustainable urban pattern of development that has continued to leapfrog to less expensive greenfield sites. However, as cities begin to focus on becoming more sustainable these greyfield sites can be opportunities in disguise. Greyfield sites can be redeveloped into mixed-use communities that not only allow cities to direct growth back into the center but also achieve numerous Smart Growth goals. The case studies in this report, Mizner Park in Boca Raton, Florida and Belmar in Lakewood, Colorado, are examples of the value of greyfield redevelopment as a growth management tool.