Abstract
Brownfield redevelopment presents an opportunity to address environmental and infrastructure challenges while promoting community development and neighborhood revitalization. However, the benefits of redevelopment are often not equitably distributed, and infrastructure improvements may contribute to gentrification and displacement of existing residents. This dynamic highlights the need to examine how environmental justice (EJ) concerns are defined, recognized, and acted upon in the planning and implementation of brownfield redevelopment efforts. The first part of the study includes an explanatory analysis of EPA Brownfields grant applications in Massachusetts that compares how municipalities and nonprofits perceive EJ concerns in their community. This analysis reveals discrepancies between EJ designations and concerns identified by the communities, and highlights key knowledge gaps, particularly in addressing displacement risks and the lack of proactive planning to resolve broader EJ challenges. Building on these insights, the second part of the study integrates indicators of gentrification with brownfields redevelopment and other civil engineering infrastructure and community amenities. Using Worcester, Massachusetts as a focus area, the study expands on previous frameworks that identify neighborhood change through vulnerability analysis, housing market trends, and demographic shifts. The study compares gentrification patterns across census tracts and examines how these trends relate to the presence, stage, and type of brownfield redevelopment. The findings underscore the complexity of assessing gentrification risk in communities with brownfields and point to the need for multidimensional approaches in redevelopment planning.