Mapping the obstacles to brownfield redevelopment adoption in developing economies: Pakistani Perspective

Brownfields located in urban centers are potential resources for urban development projects. In developed economies, brownfield redevelopment (BR) is considered an effective strategy and an important instrument in urban planning. However, BR in developing counties, especially Pakistan, has not received the same attention due to different obstacles, and it is still in its infancy. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the obstacles to BR adoption in Pakistan through a review of previous studies and to analyze these obstacles through expert opinion. After an extensive literature review, this study develops a contextual relationship-based model using an integrated methodology of Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and MICMAC (cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) analysis. The results of ISM outlined ownership constraints, public protests, lack of transparent communication among stakeholders, and lack of environmental justice as dependent obstacles. However, financial constraints including lack of capital and cost consideration were identified as independent obstacles and the most critical ones. The results of this study can be a stepping stone to overcome obstacles to BR and promote urban sustainability. Considerable incentives and subsidies will foster BR implementation resulting in the integration of sustainable urban development in Pakistan.