Residents’ perceptions and attitudes toward waste treatment facility sites and their possible conversion: A literature review

The siting a landfill or waste treatment facility and the redevelopment of a brownfield or former landfill site are generally treated as independent issues in the research literature. Nonetheless, the two are important elements of community development and urban revitalization efforts. The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrated review of the current literature on attitudes toward waste treatment sites and their potential conversion for recreation use. We begin by examining research on residents’ perceptions of and attitudes toward proposed and existing waste treatment facility sites, including the perceived impacts and determinants of attitudes toward these sites. Next we summarize work that has explored the subsequent conversion of former landfills or brownfield sites, with a particular emphasis on repurposing these sites for green space and recreation use. We conclude by summarizing key issues and implications for future research and policy development.