Early public participation and support for a brownfields redevelopment project : a study on Perth Amboy

Public participation is an important aspect of brownfields redevelopment. Because brownfields are a localized issue, those most affected by a site should have a say in its redevelopment. Both the process of redevelopment and the final outcome must measure the success of a brownfields project.Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in conjunction with the Middlesex County Vocational School System, is in the process of preparing former brownfields land into a new vocational -technical high school. Residents were notified after the decision had been made, rather than be included from the start of the decision-making process. Residents within a 500-foot radius were sent a survey to measure their satisfaction with the redevelopment of the high school. Spearman rho correlations were used to determine relationships between thirty-two variables.Analysis revealed that there is an overall satisfaction with the construction of the vocationaltechnical high school, but not with the means by which the process was undertaken. Though residents feel it is their responsibility to be active participants, they also hold the city and the county responsible for fostering public participation early in the process. Support for the vocational -technical high school diminishes if local taxes had been applied to the redevelopment project. Recommendations for better inclusion of the public are offered to enhance future participation efforts.