Greenfield Sites

Greenfield sites are created when land presently used for agricultural, recreational, or amenity purposes is developed for urban uses. These sites are usually adjacent to existing urban areas, and as such, the development of greenfield sites leads to sprawl. For many centuries the development of greenfield sites was regarded as a normal development pattern that was a sign of civic progress. However, the realization of the financial and environmental costs of this style of development in the late 20th and early 21st centuries led to an effort to reduce the reliance on greenfield sites through the greater use of former industrial sites (brownfields) and urban infill sites for development.

Greenfield development and associated urban sprawl became a political issue in Britain and Europe in the 1990s ...