Systems Engineering Approach to Brownfield Redevelopment: Ralgreen Community Revitalization in Kitchener, Canada

摘要

A practical systems engineering approach emphasizing strategic decision making in brownfield redevelopment is proposed and applied to a case study. The key to the approach is to apply strategic conflict analysis and then strategic project management in sequence. Strategic conflict analysis is carried out by using the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution, a decision support tool that helps decision makers (DMs) obtain insights into conflicts and locate possible resolutions, to investigate conflicts surrounding brownfield redevelopment. Strategic project management, which helps DMs find the best brownfield redevelopment solution, is implemented using multiple criteria decision analysis techniques to evaluate alternative courses of action according to a range of social, economic and environmental criteria. As a case study, the approach is applied to the Ralgreen residential community of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, to demonstrate how brownfield redevelopment and community revitalization are addressed in practice. Years before any residential construction at the Ralgreen site, a pond was infilled with organic wastes; the subsequent contamination produced serious problems for Ralgreen residents, including seepage, noxious odours, subsidence, potential health risks, and declining property values.