Greyfield Development

Greyfield developments are adaptive reuses of former commercial or light-industrial properties in which remediation of hazardous wastes is not a financial barrier (or perceived barrier) to redevelopment. Such developments can contribute positively to sustainable communities because they reuse properties and existing infrastructure, and thereby reduce the consumption of virgin land. The genesis of greyfields, along with an analysis of the benefits and challenges of redevelopment, is outlined below.

The neologism greyfield parallels the terms brownfields and greenfields and is thought to derive from the color of the vast asphalt parking lots surrounding obsolete strip malls, declining regional malls, or vacated freestanding retail stores. Although the term is most often used to refer to former retail properties, it may also be used more broadly to refer to ...