Brownfield Redevelopment: Soil Remediation for Sustainable Cities

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid pace of urbanization has led to significant environmental challenges, particularly regarding existing and unknown brownfield sites—previously developed lands that are now underutilized, often due to contamination from hazardous substances. Such brownfield sites represent complex environmental, economic, and social issues, making them critical focal points in the push for sustainable urban development. As cities strive to balance economic growth with environmental safety, effective brownfield redevelopment has emerged as a vital strategy for revitalizing urban landscapes while addressing public health concerns.

Scientific research has established that brownfields can harbor a variety of contaminants, including heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, and industrial byproducts, which can adversely affect both human health and ecological systems. Accurate assessment and scientific remediation of these contaminated soils is essential for restoring these sites and unlocking their potential for redevelopment. The process of soil remediation encompasses a range of strategies—from traditional methods, such as excavation and containment, to innovative approaches like bioremediation, phyto-remediation, biochemical remediation, etc. This variety of techniques, in addition to their potential, provides an expansive toolkit for addressing specific contaminants and site conditions, presenting a unique challenge and opportunity for researchers and practitioners in the field.

As urban areas continue to expand, the reuse of brownfield sites not only mitigates the environmental impact of urban sprawl but also promotes sustainable land use practices that can reduce the carbon footprint associated with new developments. Furthermore, effective remediation and redevelopment of brownfields can lead to significant economic benefits, including job creation, increased property values, and improved community well-being. By transforming these neglected spaces into productive and safe environments, cities can foster resilience, enhance social equity, and promote community health.

This Special Issue aims to present cutting-edge research, innovative technologies, and policy frameworks that address the complexities of soil contamination and the challenges of brownfield redevelopment. Research papers, analytical reviews, conceptual frameworks, and policy-relevant articles are solicited. The Guest Editors will select high-quality research to proceed with blind peer reviews. Reviewers will be selected from among researchers active in the field, whose works are present in international databases.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) in order to provide insights into Brownfield Redevelopment: Soil Remediation for Sustainable Cities.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Assessment of Soil and Groundwater Contamination;
• Innovative Remediation Technologies;
• Integrated Remediation Strategies;
• Policy and Regulatory Frameworks;
• Economic and Social Impact Assessments;
• Sustainable Design and Green Infrastructure;
• Climate Change and Environmental Resilience;
• AI-based Innovation Monitoring, Evaluation and Restoration Application.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Fei Li
Dr. Jia Wen
Prof. Dr. Chuanrong Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• soil contamination
• remediation technologies
• bioremediation
• phytoremediation
• sustainable development
• community engagement
• green infrastructure
• spatio-temporal management framework
• economic impact
• environmental resilience