Because owners of brownfield sites are primarily interested in avoiding liability, they are rarely players in reusing planning of their properties. However, in some cases, private companies have taken a leadership role in reuse planning for their moribund sites. This article explores these unique examples of corporate responsibility through surveys of federal and state brownfields officials in the United States and in-depth case studies of reuse projects in three U.S. cities. The findings suggest that firms appear to be motivated for promoting the reuse of their brownfields in order to maintain a reputation in their community, establish an economic precedent for successful reuse, maintain control over potential future environmental liabilities, and as a manifestation of corporate social responsibility. Implication for public works managers and planners include a need to leverage third party liability rules to encourage greater responsibility and leadership by firms in the reuse of their contaminated sites.
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