A Washington-based U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) report shows that redevelopment of “brownfields,” abandoned or under-utilized properties with real or perceived environmental contamination, can lead to economic benefits for a city. The January report, “Recycling America's Land: A National Report on Brownfields Redevelopment,” studied brownfield sites in more than 200 cities. Brownfields can include old industrial and commercial properties, vacant buildings and abandoned gas stations.

3,282
brownfields in 150 cities were “mothballed,” meaning the current owner has no intention of redeveloping or selling the property because of environmental impact concerns.

1,600
brownfield sites, comprising 17,000 acres, were successfully redeveloped in 150 cities, creating 187,000 new jobs.

188
cities reported having a total of 24,896 brownfield sites.

6.5
acres was the average size of each site.