(Dow Fellows Program 2013)

The current regulatory landscape in Michigan defines brownfields as land that is contaminated, abandoned and functionally obsolete or both. This is a broader scope than most brownfield definitions, which conventionally focus on chemical contaminants. The City of Detroit, with a high prevalence of blighted property, benefits from this expanded definition. However, current remediation and redevelopment strategies focus on economic growth, with a secondary consideration for the improved individual- and community-level health outcomes. Overlooking the interactions between brownfields and social determinants of health suggests that negative health consequences are not being minimized and positive health impacts are not being maximized.

To correct this, brownfield redevelopment policies in Detroit should be updated to motivate the inclusion of Health Impact Assessments (HIAs). Doing so may promote redevelopment activities that achieve health-related goals such as social justice, environmental sustainability and economic viability. This paper suggests a model for HIAs in Detroit, and discusses the need for engagement of public and private stakeholders to restructure incentives and financing.

Project Report