Last week, SkyriseCities' 'Explainer' provided an overview of the term 'brownfields,' which refers to sites that were formerly developed but are now abandoned lands, often of an industrial nature. While these brownfield sites play a key role in shaping development throughout many parts of the world, the areas used for agriculture—or left untouched entirely—are also often targets for development. Read more from SkyriseCities:

Greenfield sites around Regina, Saskatchewan, image by Marcus Mitanis

As previously developed sites, contaminated brownfield land provides an opportunity for renewal and efficient use of limited space. By cleaning up these post-industrial wastelands and returning them to a usable state, natural swaths of green space and rich agricultural land can continue to thrive uninhibited. But some undeveloped areas of land that are currently used for agriculture, or left to evolve naturally, can be targeted for development. These sites are known as greenfields.

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