Brownfields Redevelopment in Paterson, New Jersey

Robert W. Taylor

Dept. of Earth & Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey 07043

973-655-4129 taylorr@mail.montclair.edu

The poster discusses the three broad perspectives of brownfields redevelopment policy in New Jersey, - the economic development perspective, the regional sustainability perspective, and the environmental justice perspective. It then goes on to view how these perspectives impact the brownfields redevelopment strategies for an older, small industrial city in Northern New Jersey, the city of Paterson. The poster utilizes research gathered for the New Jersey SiteMart Program by graduate students at Montclair State University on 124 sites in Paterson and analyzes it from a list of selected variables. It concludes the following: northern New Jersey is a “hot” real estate market and an increasing demand combined with a dwindling of available land for development is driving developers into areas that they would not have ventured five years ago; small cities like Paterson, due to location, natural amenities, and rail linkage to Manhattan, possess unique qualities that make them prime targets for redevelopment; environmental contamination does not present a barrier to redevelopment; a greater obstacle to redevelopment is perception and the level of poverty and social problems associated with these areas; and finally,  the policy instruments are in place to see these areas rapidly change, producing a “ telescoping “of change that could become a significant environmental justice issue.