Coastal settlements, whether rooted in port, defence or tourism economies, have experienced considerable economic, social and environmental change over the last 30-40 years, which has often resulted in building obsolescence and vacant land. Brownfield sites, especially on the waterfront, are strategically valuable, but can be constrained by costs of treatment, the fragmentation of available plots and declining property values. This paper addresses the need for a better understanding of the characteristics of brownfield land in coastal settlements and the challenges facing planning in the regeneration of these sites through an analysis of the National Land Use Database and a survey of Heads of Planning Service. There is a plentiful supply of brownfield sites on the coast, but one-third requires remedial treatment. Planners regard brownfield land as a priority, but depend upon public funding for successful regeneration. Economic circumstances and frequent policy shifts have impeded the redevelopment of brownfield land on the coast. There is a need for new imaginative approaches that will help coastal communities reap the undoubted benefits of brownfield sites. Only places on the 'cosmopolitan' coast expressed confidence in their ability to deliver regeneration without government funding or intervention.

The delivery of mixed communities in the regeneration of urban waterfronts: an investigation of the comparative experience of Plymouth and Bristol Thorning, D