Community Participation: Brownfields Redevelopment Principles for Lendors, Investors, & Community Members

[Trina Villanueva <trina@autobahn.org>]

Hello,
I have been following this discussion on community participation and 
developers for the past 2 weeks and it seems clear that this issue 
should be discussed in Brownfields '98.  During Brownfields '97, It was 
disconcerting for me to attend panel discussions on the Financing track 
and realize that many of the participants did not represent community 
members.  In addition, none of the panelists I heard included possible 
community perspectives within their talks.  I agree that Community 
Involvement should be weaved into the other aspects of brownfields 
redevelopment since I think this is the only way to remind developers, 
lenders, and investors that community members are also decision makers 
in brownfields projects.  Having a separate track will only continue to 
marginalize community concerns. 

I work for the Greenlining Institute, a nonprofit public policy and 
advocacy organization based in San Francisco, CA, committed to promoting 
economic development in low-income and minority communities.  Our main 
goal for our brownfields program is to increase the involvement of 
lenders in brownfields projects.  We also want to ensure that financial 
institutions invest in projects which truly increase the quality of life 
of the people living and working near proposed redevelopment sites.  As 
a result, we convened a Brownfields Policy Committee comprised of 
community leaders from California to discuss issues which are relevant 
to brownfields redevelopment.  Attached is a draft of the Brownfield 
Redevelopment Principles report.  It builds on much of the work of 
advocates for environmental justice, sustainable development, and 
economic revitalization.  We are presenting this primarily to financial 
institutions in California.  Please let me know if you cannot open this 
document or if you would like for me to mail you a hard copy.  I would 
appreciate your comments and endorsement of this report.  Thank you.

Trina Villanueva
Fellow
The Greenlining Institute
785 Market St., 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 284-7218 =20