Brownfield regeneration is becoming a priority in Europe in light of the scarcity of developable land and the need to curb urban sprawl 

Managing urban sprawl has become a key policy issue for many large European cities as it is unsustainable from both a financial and environmental perspective. 

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Data from March 2020 indicates, for the period 2017-2018, that more than 60 ha per day are artificialised in France, representing the equivalent of 100 football pitches. Cumulatively over the period, this represents more than the surface area of the Yvelines department (near Paris). In Germany, legislation has recognised the urgent need for inner city redevelopment and included it as a key goal in its national building code¹. At a European level, the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe has set a target of no ‘net land take’ by 2050, with a major focus on the reuse and development of brownfield sites² .

¹ German Federal Environmental Agency (2005) The Future lies on Brownfields & Baugesestzbuch

² European Commission (2011) - The Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe