Brownfields regulatory reform and policy innovation in practice

In this paper, we explore innovations in brownfields policy in the United States and their nexus with planning, using the state of Wisconsin as a study area and the broader literature on regulatory reform as guideposts for our analysis. We examine the innovations from four vantages: (1) statewide initiatives; (2) the efforts of Wisconsin cities to promote brownfields redevelopment across their neighborhoods; (3) project-specific uses of institutional, regulatory, and financial innovations to encourage revitalization; and (4) local planners' perceptions of the innovations. Throughout the paper, we focus on the role of economic incentives, regulatory flexibility, regulatory structure, and the behavioral culture of brownfields stakeholders. We base our work on interviews of nearly 70 individuals from public, private-for-profit, private-nonprofit, and tribal organizations and a survey of over 100 Wisconsin planners and economic development specialists.