[CPEO-BIF] New Brownfields web site

[hmayer@rci.rutgers.edu]

The National Center for Neighborhood and Brownfields Redevelopment, 
which is part of the E.J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy 
at Rutgers University, launched a new and different internet web site 
about six weeks ago. Our objective is to create an important national 
clearinghouse, or resource center, and information exchange for local 
governments, community organizations, and others actively involved in 
brownfields redevelopment, smart planning, and neighborhood 
revitalization issues.  

To date, we have cataloged, written abstracts on, and developed 
hot-links to about 400 news articles, research papers, reports, books, 
presentations, and other information written by government agencies, 
universities, economic development and other non-profit organizations, 
newspapers, faculty and staff at the Bloustein School, and practitioners 
themselves.  The newest and most relevant papers, tools, etc. are listed 
in headlines on one of several home pages, and each has a teaser that 
gives you a brief idea of what it is about.  Rather than then sending 
you off to a web site to find what may be an old or much duplicated 
paper, we provide a short summary of what you will find and provide a 
hot link that, in most instances, brings the full report up on our site 
in PDF, HTML or whatever format is used by the authors.  You can 
download, print, or simply read it without leaving our site.  When 
you're done, click back with your browser and pick a different paper or 
tool.

We believe that this searchable online database could expand to 
encompass as many as 1,500 documents, and we welcome suggestions on 
papers, reports, or other tools that we might add.

We believe that individuals charged with brownfields redevelopment, 
economic revitalization, and/or protecting open space also need ready 
access to current and accurate information about federal and state, 
grant and loan programs which might be used to promote their activities. 
 Our web site provides direct access to a searchable database of all 
federal grant and loan programs, and news on announcements of funding 
availability, new grant and loan programs, and changes in grant 
application procedures.  Over the past week we have begun adding state 
grant and loan programs.

Our third objective is to provide tools that enable practitioners to 
regularly discuss current and relevant issues and to exchange 
information, advice, and ideas with their peers, other community 
officials involved in related fields, and panels of experts on a 
national and international scale. We accomplish this through the use of 
internet message board and chat room technology which has proven highly 
successful in bringing together communities of individuals interested in 
a common subject or issue.  We welcome those of you who use the CPEO 
brownfields list-serve to also participate in the dialogue we hope to 
build on these boards.

The URL for our site is: 

http://policy.rutgers.edu/brownfields

I would appreciate any and all comments.


Henry Mayer, Ph.D.
Executive Director
hmayer@rci.rutgers.edu


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