ReDevelopment – PPP, management, financial and legal framework for regeneration of brownfields

Seminar "ReDevelopment"

Background of the event

TIMBRE project organised in cooperation with Technical University of Ostrava (Partnership for Czech Brownfields project) and Institute of Geonics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, a workhop with title ReDevelopment – PPP, management, finantial and legal framework for regeneration of brownfields. During two days of this cross-national event (March, 1-2, 2012) more than 10 contributions were presented and training of students in topic of brownfields regeneration in the Czech Republic was carried out. Besides lectures on experiences and barriers with brownfield regeneration from UK and the Czech Republic, more than 50 Ostrava stakeholders - owners of brownfields, politicians, students, representatives of local and regional authorities, representatives of regional development agencies, representatives of local culture, academics etc. - participated in following discussions. The event was guided by Ass. Professor Barbara Vojvodíková; the afternoon programme of the first day was led by the research team of WP3 of the TIMBRE project.

Day 1

Morning program of the workshop consisted of lectures and following discussions on topics:

• Public-privat partnership principles in regeneration of brownfields (Deborah Lange, Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh),
• Financial matters of brownfields regeneration of small and medium sized projects (with emphasis on urban brownfields) (J. George Šmíd, Jan Antoš, ISA United Kingdom, Ltd),
• Comparison of approaches for brownfields re-development in different countries (Lucie Doležalová, IREAS – Institute for structural policy, o.p.s.),
• Project of re-development of Hrušov bronwfield (after chemical industry): presentation and evaluation of the project progress (Marcela Tomášková, H Zone, s.r.o., Deborah Lange,  Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh),
• Cultural activities as first step for regeneration of brownfields (Blanka Marková, IURS, David Mirek, NGO – Back to factory),
• Decision support tool that support community to prioritize brownfield development efforts (Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh) and
• Lower area of Vítkovice – what has been done and what are direction in brownfield redevelopment project (Association for Lower area of Vítkovice redevelopment).

During the first day of the workshop, the TIMBRE project - its aims, content, structure, current state of art, case studies - was presented. According to the focus of the workshop special attention was paid to the research problems studied within WP3 of the project - success factors of brownfields regeneration and prioritisation tool.

In the afternoon sessions, preliminary results of qualitative and quantitative researches from the Czech Republic and Romania were presented and discussed. Guided discussion was moderated by WP3 leader dr. Klusáček, who with his group defined aims of this TIMBRE event as follows:

• to follow in work with Ostrava stakeholders that started during previous workshop (October 2011)
• to find out and define, what are the main drivers and barriers for brownfields regeneration in the Czech Republic with special attention to Ostrava
• to discuss results of pre-tests of qustionnaire surveys on success factors for brownfield regeneration in the Czech Republic
• to discuss preferences and alternatives for possible brownfields regeneration projects in different geographical conditions (inner cities / rests of urban space / rural space)
• to present up-dated state of art in works on prioritisation tool and ask participants (especially experts) for comments

Main results of discussions were identified as follow:

1. importance of location factors was underlined (position / location of the potential regeneration project within the state / region / city);
2. as crucial aspect of timing in brownfields regeneration was identified (importance of economic cycle – times of prosperity vs. times of recession, global impacts on economy, contemporary economic crisis etc.);
3. political factors (their both positive and negative impacts) and financial aspects of regeneration were stressed (aspect of distance from centers where money are allocated for projects was underlined);
4. as next important factors local society (its activity) and local identity / culture were discussed (possibility of informal use of abandonned brownfields for cultural or other events, that can improve perception of area by local population; industrial history / heritage of brownfields must be taken into account and not denied;
5. specifities of Ostrava population and its recent history were mentioned too (extensive development of heavy industries after WWII; dynamic in-migration of labour force to industry in 1960s-1980s, unemployment and lack of jobs in region etc.)

Day 2

Second day of the workshop was devoted to work with local students as potentially the most active potential stakeholders in brownfields regeneration in Ostrava. Students presented their ideas, proposal, remark for regeneration of one of Ostrava brownfields.

Detailed information and the programme of the seminar can be downloaded here or found with information on previous seminars of the Partnership for Czech Brownfields project here.