Key definitions and Scope of the Course

Urban planners often encounter related terms: Altlasten, Brownfields, Contaminated sites, Flächenrecycling, Greenfields etc. Knowing their distinctions is essential for:

-        reading reports, legal documents, and redevelopment plans

-        communicating with environmental authorities and investors

-        understanding your responsibilities as a planner

-        avoiding costly misunderstandings in project planning.

Let's clarify these terms systematically.

In Germany, Altlasten - literally "old burdens"- refer to sites where soil or groundwater contamination from past use poses concrete hazards to human health or the environment, as defined under the Federal Soil Protection Act (BBodSchG) and the Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance (BBodSchV). The distinction between civilian, military, and radioactive contaminated sites reflects different contamination origins and regulatory frameworks.