Social and Economic Impactsof Brownfield Redevelopment in Florida
New Analytical Tools to Assess the State and Tribal Response Program
Christian Wells
Our mission is to leverage interdisciplinary scientificexpertise at the University of South Florida to informoutcome-driven research on environmental toxicants,land use legacies, community health, environmentaljustice, and sustainable and equitable development.
EPA and DEP would like to better understand the impacts of SRP funding provided to eligible communities who have demonstrated a need for funding assistance for assessment and remediation work.
This project evaluates and recommends options for determining social and economic impacts associated with redeveloped brownfield sites across Florida where cleanup activities were funded under the SRP Grant.
Salient Social and Economic Indicators
Families and ChildrenPercent female head of householdPercent population <5 years of agePercent population >65 years of age
Race/EthnicityPercent Latino or HispanicPercent CaucasianPercent African AmericanPercent Native AmericanPercent Asian
EducationPercent with a high school diploma or with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
EconomicParcel Land ValueJust ValuePercent below povertyPercent unemployedMedian household incomePer capita income
HousingPercent owner occupied housingPercent vacant housingMedian rent
CrimeTotal crime index
Florida Brownfields Redevelopment AtlasA Decision Support Tool for Assessing Social and Economic Change
Image of 2016 5-year ACS data being calculated for percent female head of household.
Image of FBR Atlas map module with navigation features in top left corner.
Florida Brownfields Redevelopment AtlasA Decision Support Tool for Assessing Social and Economic Change
Image of FBR Atlas with layer visualization module at the bottom left.
Florida Brownfields Redevelopment AtlasA Decision Support Tool for Assessing Social and Economic Change
Image of FBR Atlas analysis modules at the bottom right.
Florida Brownfields Redevelopment AtlasA Decision Support Tool for Assessing Social and Economic Change
Test Case #1: Residence Inn, Tallahassee
Social & Economic Returns on Investment
Atlas Prediction:
Qualitative Assessment:
Test Case #2: Cedar Ave. Properties, Sanford
Social & Economic Returns on Investment
Atlas Prediction:
Qualitative Assessment:
Test Case #3: Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando
Social & Economic Returns on Investment
Atlas Prediction:
Qualitative Assessment:
Test Case #4: Dunn Lumber, New Smyrna Beach
Social & Economic Returns on Investment
Atlas Prediction:
Qualitative Assessment:
Test Case #5: 12th St. Maintenance Yard, Tampa
Social & Economic Returns on Investment
Atlas Prediction:
Qualitative Assessment:
Recommendations for Future Development
• future study of which specific layers might be most useful and adding those to the Operational Layers menu for ease of access
• add new widgets to the Atlas that can allow decision makers access to easily identifiable information regarding changes to a redeveloped property, such as in the form of pop-up charts and related media
• additional SRP grantee sites be visited and that a formal survey tool be developed to capture the same kind of information consistently from each site
• comprehensive analysis of all sites to explore relationships between redevelopment and social and economic change, as indicated through multiple regression analysis or other similar multivariate quantitative techniques
Christian Wells
Project Administration
Principal InvestigatorChristian Wells, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Brownfields Research and Redevelopment, University of South Florida
Project AssistantRichard Mackenzie, GIS Project Manager, University of South Florida Libraries
Project AdvisorsCarrie Kruchell, Florida Department of Environmental ProtectionMegan Johnson, Florida Department of Environmental ProtectionMiles Ballogg, CardnoDavid Goldman, Kimley-HornAyesha Johnson, Florida Department of Health–Hillsborough County