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Bauen & Technik

Contaminated Sites: A Guide for Urban Planners and Non-Engineers

This course introduces contaminated site (Altlasten) assessment and remediation for urban planning contexts. Learn the basics of soil contamination, when it requires intervention, and how Germany's regulatory framework (BBodSchG/BBodSchV) structures investigation and cleanup decisions. Content covers contaminant types, pollutant behaviour, risk assessment models, investigation procedures, and remediation technologies. Suitable for planners, developers, environmental professionals, and anyone interested in brownfield redevelopment.

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What to expect

Contaminated sites are everywhere in industrialized regions: former factories, old gas stations, closed military bases. Understanding what happens to these polluted areas matters for planners, developers, community advocates, and concerned citizens alike. This course introduces the fundamentals of contaminated site assessment and remediation:

  • How contamination moves through soil and groundwater;
  • When it poses actual health or environmental risks;
  • What options exist for cleaning up or managing polluted land. 
Germany provides the primary case study, demonstrating how systematic regulatory frameworks can transform environmental problems into redevelopment opportunities.
The material serves urban planning students, real estate professionals, environmental advocates, and anyone seeking to understand brownfield redevelopment processes. By the final module, you will be able to ask informed questions, interpret site assessment reports, and participate meaningfully in discussions about transforming contaminated land into productive urban space.