About

 

Land recycling is the key to ensuring a healthy future for both our communities and our environment. 

 
Our mission is to enable communities to develop sustainably and equitably by restoring underutilized properties to productive use. Our particular expertise is in cleaning up and redeveloping environmentally-distressed properties, sometimes referred to as "brownfields.” Our work is accomplished through training and technical assistance for communities working to turn around vacant or contaminated properties.
 
Through creative public, private, and nonprofit partnerships we help shape opportunities for those with the biggest stake in revitalizing their communities, including community development corporations, affordable housing developers, and local governments.
 
Land recycling is the reuse of abandoned or contaminated property for redevelopment. By directing development to land that has already been used, we preserve open space and protect natural resources, lessen our dependency on automobiles, and reduce our carbon footprint. Because vacant properties often lie within economically-distressed areas, land recycling catalyzes investment and creates jobs, affordable housing, and open space.
 
CCLR is a 501(c)(3) founded in 1996 by The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national, nonprofit land conservation organization.  
 

 

Our Programs 

Recycling land requires specialized knowledge and tools in order to manage complicated environmental issues. CCLR’s interactive workshops provide project managers and stakeholders with the tools, techniques and resources required for remediating and redeveloping environmentally distressed properties. Visit the workshops page to learn more.
 
To date CCLR has educated nearly 5,000 community stakeholders through our workshops. Our graduates return to their communities with new tools and resources, ready to tackle redevelopment.
 
CCLR provides technical assistance to redevelopment projects. The objective of this program is to revitalize communities and promote brownfield development in under-served communities. CCLR serves as a trusted advisor, facilitator, and project manager focusing on the environmental components of brownfield redevelopment. Visit our technical assistance page to learn how we can help you. Our results include:
 
  • $73 million in forgivable loans and grants for site assessment and cleanup
  • 12,600 new residential units 
  • 60,000 square feet of retail
  • 818,000 square feet of commercial
  • 1,500 acres of open space
 
CCLR draws upon its wealth of experience with redevelopment projects to inform policy research. CCLR promotes reform of state and local land use and development policies that help level the playing field between brownfields and greenfields. CCLR’s research program provides a scientific foundation to support our progressive policy initiatives. Visit our research page to learn more.
 
CCLR provided catalytic policy leadership on two innovative funding programs in California that allocated nearly $900 Million for brownfield cleanup and redevelopment.

 

Click below for CCLR's Financial and Compensation information:

Latest Audited Financial Statement

Latest Form 990

Executive Director Compensation Policy

 

News Articles

Our Impact

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Brownfields Resource Center

  • Center for Creative Land Recycling is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax deductions to the extent provided by law. Our Federal Identification Number is 94-3302410

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© Copyright 2014 CCLR - Center for Creative Land Recycling