Defence Sites III

Containing a selection of papers presented at the third International Conference on Defence Sites: Heritage and Future, this volume deals with the scale, design and functions of defence sites. It facilitates a better understanding of the issues raised by their decommissioning and the implications of various disposal processes for the land. Defence sites due to be decommissioned offer a range of opportunities to planners, architects and local communities to redevelop large areas, bringing new life to previously neglected parts of towns. However, the re-use of defence sites also raises questions regarding the recovery of brownfields and contaminated land, since these can have far-reaching legal responsibilities and environmental consequences. Achieving the sustainable development of these sites involves issues related to maintenance and conservation, as well as built and natural environmental controls, while also responding to the needs and aspirations of the community. A number of countries share many of the opportunities and problems in the re-use of defence sites, and this volume stresses these common experiences.