One of the defining features on 20th century American cityscapes is the rise and subsequent fall of auto-oriented suburban retail centers. The indoor mall and suburban strip center were once ubiquitous facets of suburban life, but in many places their lifespan and popularity have reached an end and are now referred to as “greyfields.” The purpose of this report will seek to document and explain the rise, fall and ultimate methods of regeneration of suburban, auto-oriented retail centers. This report will examine two case studies, Mizner Plaza (Boca Raton, FL) and Washingtonian Center (Gaithersburg, MD), to demonstrate the larger narrative of suburban shopping center redevelopment approaches. This report will need to articulate the birth, life cycle, and decline of the suburban, auto-oriented retail center using established shopping center and greyfield literature. The report will be comprised of three parts with the first outlining the characteristics, challenges and indicators of failing “greyfield” retail centers. The second part of this report will explore three types of greyfield redevelopment strategies (as anticipated through findings): a. New placemaking (the lifestyle, town center approach). b. New development improvements. c. An adaptive reuse of existing facilities. Thirdly, considering these three types of strategies, suggestions for redevelopment will be recommended for the Gateway shopping center, a declining “big box” power center in Austin, Texas. / text

Greyfield Development in Vallejo, California: Opportunities, Constraints, and Alternatives is a Project that determined that the regulatory framework and presence of underutilized commercial land make Vallejo, California the ideal community to facilitate Greyfield Development. The Project reviewed existing literature, determining that there are a number of causes for the proliferation of Greyfields, revitalization practices, and communities that have facilitated redevelopment. The Background Report analyzed existing conditions and illustrated that Vallejo contains several policies and programs that call for the redevelopment of underutilized commercial land. The Greyfield Study identified Springstowne Center, CVS Center, and Meadows Plaza as shopping centers that exemplify signs of maturation and/or decline. The Greyfield Study determined that Meadows Plaza experienced the most decline out of the three shopping centers based on the amount of vacant square footage through fieldwork and document analysis. The Project presented three conceptual alternatives that could spur revitalization of Meadows Plaza: (1) Adaptive Reuse; (2) Residential Development; and (3) Mixed-Use and Residential Development. The Project concludes by recommending that Vallejo implement the Underutilized Commercial Land Conversion Program as outlined in the Housing Element of the Vallejo General Plan as a way to redevelop underperforming sites like Meadows Plaza and facilitate greater community revitalization.

In recent years, a renewed interest has blossomed in rail travel and rail investment. However, federal funding constraints for new transit projects threaten the feasibility of urban rail network construction and expansion. In response, the public sector has begun to consider alternative financial mechanisms including value capture. As new construction expands transit’s reach into the suburbs, another phenomenon is facing these communities – the death of the suburban shopping mall. This report examines these two issues: constraints in transit funding and the proliferation of greyfield shopping malls. Addressing both issues, the argument is made that greyfield shopping malls serve as excellent locations to implement transit value capture strategies by converting the malls into suburban transit-oriented developments (TODs). / text

The functional connection between the building and the streetscape affects the city and its attractiveness. Stores located in shopping malls with their entrances facing internal walkways, creates segregation between the mall and the streetscape. This segregation implies that the shopping mall loses some of its attractiveness, which may result in a so-called Greyfield mall. The expression Greyfield mall is used for shopping malls that have lost its visitors. Competition from new modern malls and a lack of investments are examples of factors that influence the development of Greyfiled malls. To clarify the relationship between the building and the streetscape, Space syntax has been used. Space syntax can be explained as the order between the different spaces. A Space syntax analysis provides an intergration value that indicates how the streets are linked. The pupose of this paper is to investigate and develop methods that will increase the attractiveness of shopping centers and malls in danger of developing into, or already classified as Greyfield malls. Improvements to these sites contributes to a better urban environment. The question formulation has been focused on the streetscape- and building design, and the movement patterns of the visitors. The questions have been answered through literature studies within the areas of; Space syntax, Shared space and Greyfield malls. In addition, a new proposal for the design of the building and the surrounding streetscape has been done. Analyses using Depth map has been used in a case study of Rosengallerian. Rosengallerian is located in the center of the city Husqvarna and has potential to act as a gathering place for city residents. By using Shared space, Woonerf-streets and axial analyzes with Space syntax a new proposal for mall and its surroundings has been developed. The new proposal is based on the prioritation of the pedestrians instead of the motor traffic. The streets surrounding the shopping mall has been converted into walking-speed areas, where the streets have been given a more narrow character. These changes creates a more attractive environment for the pedestrians around the mall. The results of the studies shows that the problem mainly lies in the design of the building and the priorities of the surrounding street network. The planning and prioritations of a street network are important to city residents, when the traffic moves according to the terms of the pedestrians a center where people can move freely is created. The ability to move around freely along with the city's walkways being extended into the building means that people wants to come back to the shopping mall. The proposal increase the attractiveness of the shopping mall since people attracts other people. The conclusion is that the mall is to be seen as an individual building being fitted into the existing surrounding environment. The shopping mall should be a natural part of the city's movement pattern, but also allowed to stand out architecturally. / Den funktionella kontakten mellan byggnaden och gaturummet påverkar staden och dess attraktivitet. Butiker som är placerade i gallerior och som har sina entréer mot interna stråk skapar en segregation mellan gallerian och gaturummet. Denna segregering innebär att gallerian förlorar en del av sin attraktivitet, vilket kan resultera i en så kallad Greyfield mall. Uttrycket Greyfield mall används för gallerior som förlorat sina besökare. Konkurrensen från nya moderna gallerior samt brist på investeringar är exempel på faktorer som påverkar uppkomsten av Greyfield malls. För att klargöra sambandet mellan byggnaden och gaturumet har ”Space syntax” använts. Space syntax kan förklaras som ordningen mellan de olika rummen. En Space syntax-analys ger ett integrationsvärde som visar hur stadens gator hänger samman. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka och utveckla metoder för att öka attraktiviteten hos köpcentrum och gallerior som riskerar att utvecklas till, eller redan klassas som Greyfield malls. Förbättringar av dessa platser bidrar till en godare stadsmiljö. Frågeställningarna har inriktats på gatans och byggnadens utformning samt besökarnas rörelsemönster. Frågeställningarna har besvarats genom litteraturstudier inom områdena Space syntax, Shared space och Greyfield malls. Därtill har ett nytt förslag på utformning av gatunätet och byggnaden utförts. Analyser med hjälp av Depth map har gjorts i en fallstudie av Rosengallerian. Rosengallerian är placerad i Huskvarna centrum och har potential att fungera som en samlingspunkt för stadens invånare. Områdets nuvarande utformning gynnar biltrafiken vilket har resulterat i en nedprioritering av gångtrafikanterna. Med hjälp av; Shared space, Boone-gator och axialanalyser med Space syntax har ett nytt förslag för Rosengallerian och dess omgivning tagits fram. Förslaget bygger på att stadens gångtrafikanter istället prioriteras. Gatorna runt gallerian har omvandlats till gångfartsområde, där gatorna har fått en smalare karaktär. Dessa förändringar skapar en attraktivare miljö för gångtrafikanterna kring Rosengallerian. För att öppna upp gallerian har de ursprungliga gångarna inne i gallerian ändrats till två raka tvärgator igenom byggnaden som sammanbundits med den övriga staden. Resultatet av studierna visar att problemet huvudsakligen ligger i byggnadens utformning samt det omkringliggande gatunätets prioriteringar. Ett gatunäts planering och prioriteringar är av vikt för stadens invånare, då biltrafiken förflyttar sig på de gåendes villkor skapas ett centrum där människor kan röra sig fritt. Den fria rörelsen tillsammans med att stadens gator förlängs in i byggnaden medför att invånarna vill återkomma till gallerian. Förslagets förändringar ökar gallerians attraktivitet då människor attraherar andra människor. Slutsatsen är att gallerian skall ses som en enskild byggnad som skall passas in i den omkringliggande befintliga miljön. Gallerian bör vara en naturlig del av stadens rörelsemönster samtidigt som den gärna får markeras arkitektoniskt.

The built landscape of the United States began to change dramatically after World War II. Federal Housing Administration guaranteed loans, the rise in automobile use, and Euclidian zoning all coincided to encourage growth further from the cities at a rapid rate. After fifty years the problems associated with this sprawl pattern of development have forced municipalities to examine more sustainable development patterns. Greyfield properties are considered the declining, underperforming and vacant shopping centers, big-box properties and malls. They are symbols of an unsustainable urban pattern of development that has continued to leapfrog to less expensive greenfield sites. However, as cities begin to focus on becoming more sustainable these greyfield sites can be opportunities in disguise. Greyfield sites can be redeveloped into mixed-use communities that not only allow cities to direct growth back into the center but also achieve numerous Smart Growth goals. The case studies in this report, Mizner Park in Boca Raton, Florida and Belmar in Lakewood, Colorado, are examples of the value of greyfield redevelopment as a growth management tool. / text

Spurred by changing retail and development patterns, as well as continuous suburban growth, greyfield sites can be found at the heart of most postwar suburbs in North American municipalities. Ranging in definition, greyfields are best described as an “underused, economically obsolete, retail tract located in an inner ring suburb that requires significant public and private involvement to curtail decline” (Feronti, 2003, p.11). However, tied to demographic trends and increased municipal urbanization, these vacated retail sites are positioned well for redevelopment. Yet, the redevelopment process of these sites is fraught with impeding and facilitating factors that can have significant implications for redevelopment options and viability. As such, research questions considered were: Do municipalities address greyfield challenges and opportunities? What factors impede and facilitate greyfield redevelopment? This thesis also asks these questions within the context of the City of Edmonton’s current policy and existing built form, and asked: How should greyfields be planned in the City of Edmonton? This thesis attempts to answer these questions through a review and analysis of existing literature, case studies (Belmar in Lakewood, Colorado and Century Park in Edmonton, Alberta) and through primary research conducted with key stakeholders. The research found that municipalities were largely unacquainted with the challenges and opportunities of greyfield redevelopment. Where support guidelines did exist, they were largely aspirational and lacked consideration for the unique impeding and facilitating factors of greyfield redevelopment. It was found that impeding factors to greyfield redevelopment ranged from administrative hurdles fraught with inexperience in greyfield redevelopment, to financial and land economic constraints. Facilitating factors were found in collaborative stakeholder consultation, municipal and administrative leadership, and a range of supportive fiscal mechanisms. Lastly, ten recommendations to facilitate greyfield redevelop within the City of Edmonton were discussed.

Spurred by changing retail and development patterns, as well as continuous suburban growth, greyfield sites can be found at the heart of most postwar suburbs in North American municipalities. Ranging in definition, greyfields are best described as an “underused, economically obsolete, retail tract located in an inner ring suburb that requires significant public and private involvement to curtail decline” (Feronti, 2003, p.11). However, tied to demographic trends and increased municipal urbanization, these vacated retail sites are positioned well for redevelopment. Yet, the redevelopment process of these sites is fraught with impeding and facilitating factors that can have significant implications for redevelopment options and viability. As such, research questions considered were: Do municipalities address greyfield challenges and opportunities? What factors impede and facilitate greyfield redevelopment? This thesis also asks these questions within the context of the City of Edmonton’s current policy and existing built form, and asked: How should greyfields be planned in the City of Edmonton? This thesis attempts to answer these questions through a review and analysis of existing literature, case studies (Belmar in Lakewood, Colorado and Century Park in Edmonton, Alberta) and through primary research conducted with key stakeholders. The research found that municipalities were largely unacquainted with the challenges and opportunities of greyfield redevelopment. Where support guidelines did exist, they were largely aspirational and lacked consideration for the unique impeding and facilitating factors of greyfield redevelopment. It was found that impeding factors to greyfield redevelopment ranged from administrative hurdles fraught with inexperience in greyfield redevelopment, to financial and land economic constraints. Facilitating factors were found in collaborative stakeholder consultation, municipal and administrative leadership, and a range of supportive fiscal mechanisms. Lastly, ten recommendations to facilitate greyfield redevelop within the City of Edmonton were discussed.

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ABSTRACT OUT OF THE GREYZONE: EXPLORING GREYFIELD DESIGN AND REDEVELOPMENT Konstantinos Pavlou Advisor: University of Guelph, 2013 Professor Cecelia Paine Community shopping centres in many North American suburban areas have been in decline for two decades. Failed community shopping centres, termed ‘greyfields’, have resulted in large parcels of unused lands in core urban areas, forcing residents to travel longer distances to regional malls. The decline of community shopping centres may have a number of causes, but for this study it was hypothesized that successful community shopping centres share a number of design qualities that unsuccessful shopping centres do not have. A design framework was developed based on retail design and planning literature. The framework was applied to assess an existing redevelopment, the Shops at Don Mills in Toronto. The assessment findings derived from site observations and key informant interviews resulted in a revised design framework. The final framework provides a guide to those interested in transforming commercial greyfields into vibrant components of our urban communities.

The thesis deals with the influence of the location of buildings on the price and the cost of a building. In the first theoretical part it deals with brownfields, redevelopment of geological environment and construction and demolition waste. In this passage the various concepts, their division, the legislative side of things and generally their problems are explained. The second part is practical, it analyzes the cost associated with the revitalization of abandoned buildings for the possibility of reuse of land. For these purposes the representative brownfield is created and it is set in different environment. In conclusion all important findings are summarized.