Environmental Risk Model for Revitalization
Cities and Towns
SUBMITTED BY:
Community Lattice
PARTNERS:
Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields Program (KSU TAB); Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation
LOCATION:
United States
Rehabilitating underutilized properties in underserved communities — disproportionately home to low-income persons and minorities — can stimulate economic growth and quality of life improvements. However, with the potential high cost and liability for cleanup due to unknown environmental conditions, these properties (known as “brownfields”) can deter investment and exacerbate a neighborhood’s decay.
Community Lattice proposes incorporating historical brownfields clean-up data in the US with environmental and economic data to create a site cleanup cost model to address the risks associated with brownfield redevelopment. This data and the predictive model would then be available to the public through an online platform. By accurately predicting the cost and risk of brownfield redevelopment projects using machine learning methods, the team seeks to transform a community’s ability to secure redevelopment funding, improve community health, and create economic opportunities.