A New Growth Strategy: 'Restorative Development'

What is restorative development? A way of thinking about growth that combines eight component industries that are fundamental to planning. Is this the next Big Thing?

1 minute read

August 8, 2003, 7:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"What do the following concepts have in common? Brownfields remediation. Adaptive reuse. Infrastructure refurbishment. Historic preservation. Stream, watershed, and wetland restoration. Rural economic revitalization. Waterfront redevelopment. They are all tools—some old, some new—of a fast-emerging growth strategy known as restorative development.Over the past decade, restorative development has become the fastest-growing economic sector, currently accounting for almost $2 trillion annually. Eight component industries have emerged in this sector: four that primarily restore the natural environment (ecosystems, watersheds, fisheries, and farms), plus four that mainly restore the built environment (brownfields, infrastructure, heritage, and disasters/wars)."

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