The de-industrialization, re-suburbanization and health risks of brownfield land reuse: Case study of a toxic soil event in Changzhou, China

After over three decades of rapid urbanization and economic boom, China has inevitably entered a phase of economic restructuring of its cities. A process of land re-urbanization has also emerged in the process of inner city regeneration and the consequent reuse of industrialized land in suburb areas. However, as chemical and heavy manufacturing have been the primary industries in most industrialized cities of China, the population has become increasingly subject to the threat of a toxic environment and health risks when suburbanization involves the creation of new residential zones or university towns in old industrial suburbs. In this paper, we investigate a toxic soil event in Changzhou, Jiangsu province and study the re-urbanization of manufacturing suburbs to reveal the extent of the environmental and health risks involved. From this, it is concluded that relevant land use policies, environmental management regulations and improved public health perceptions are needed for ensuring sustainable suburbanization in future in China and other similar newly industrialized counties.