Researchers' Proposals

Comparative research on the social and economic situation of brown-field areas in European cities

The problem of ‘brown-field’ areas has been a central issue in more advanced countries for two decades. Urban industrial decline generates economic, social and environmental conflicts that strongly weaken the competitiveness of cities. In Central and Eastern Europe, this issue emerged only after political transition, following the demise of state industrial complexes. In Budapest, the Centre for Regional Studies and Budapest Municipality have engaged in co-operative research on this theme in order to formulate a strategy for policy-making. We intend to extend this research by inviting research groups from Western and Eastern European cities to associate so as better to compare problems and methods of brown-field regeneration.