EJQ7 - Winter 2026 - Journal - Page 49
Indeed, research in the U.S. and Canada provides compelling evidence
that valuable tax dollars should be harnessed to deliver the most societal
bene昀椀t with a maximized return. Simply put, creating a brown昀椀eld
redevelopment scheme that speci昀椀cally addresses existing social justice
issues, like poverty alleviation, homelessness, food security, while
strengthening economic conditions of these communities would be
extremely valuable and bene昀椀cial.
One Canadian city has already redeveloped a brown昀椀eld for tiny homes
for the unhoused. Hamilton built on a brown昀椀eld, mitigated the risk
exposure pathway and is constructing tiny homes for 80 individuals that
would otherwise be unhoused.
In Saskatoon, a parcel was sold for $1 and cleanup was funded by all three
levels of government. Now Station 20 West provides a vital building
housing multiple NGOs working together for community bene昀椀t.
The project was a 昀椀nalist for a Brownie Award in 2024. A community
agriculture program in the heart of Saskatoon is also helping youth
close the gap between the (urban) farm to the table, as the Askîy Project
teaches interns how to grow food in the city and share it with others.
A housing complex built on a Toronto parking lot helped to house 48 previously
unhoused patients that frequented the local hospitals repeatedly. So far, in Dunn
House’s 昀椀rst year of operation it has seen a cost saving of $1.66 million from
local hospitals. The value to those people who now have a safe home: priceless.
We can also calculate the bene昀椀ts of having unhoused o昀昀 the streets and into
homes by the costs of vandalism or businesses closing because the street is no
longer safe. The cost of derelict land shouldn’t be measured just by tax revenue,
but also by the loss of a healthy community.
Inner city brown昀椀elds are opportunities to bridge gaps in our social fabric.
Redevelopment should be seen as a viable tool to help us restore the basic human
rights of our most vulnerable people. Adopting a social justice approach in
restoring underutilized urban land would result in bene昀椀ts for the haves and the
have-nots.
Reanne Ridsdale is a PhD Candidate at Toronto Metropolitan
University and a board member at Canadian Brown昀椀elds Network
and Sustainable Remediation Forum Canada.
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