Conceptualising Temporary Use in Brownfield Redevelopment

Conceptualising Temporary Use in Brownfield Redevelopment – Michael Martin

‘Meanwhile land’ is something of an under conceptualised planning issue in the UK. This paper seeks to bridge this gap by offering a new conceptualisation of temporary land use, drawing on existing research surrounding the practice of informal urbanism on brownfield sites. The role of temporary use as a buffer for sites in which there exists a gap in the cycle of utilisation is now increasingly understood by planning theorists and practitioners, whether it be in the form of insurgent, guerrilla urbanism or an active attempt to generate cultural, creative industries with social and economic incentives. Nevertheless, this use gap and use value have not yet been appropriately conceptualised, nor has the role of such buffers as catalysts for the long-term regeneration of brownfield land been adequately critiqued. By analysing cases of temporary use in America, Europe and the UK this paper outlines the paradoxes and conflicts which underpin the ‘temporary’ debate: informal and formal actors; social inclusion and gentrification; regeneration and adverse possession. The paper develops a typology and conceptual model which allow conclusions to be made on the effect of interim use a) as a use gap buffer and b) on the future development of brownfield land.