Reframing brownfield redevelopment through a community participation framework: a comparative review of governance models

This study offers a comparative conceptual review of brownfield redevelopment (BFR) through the lens of community participation frameworks. Moving beyond traditional scoping reviews, we analyze how participatory models – particularly Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation, Healey’s communicative planning theory, and Ansell & Gash’s collaborative governance – have been applied in 30 high-impact studies published between 2001 and 2024. The findings reveal how the depth and structure of community participation critically shape BFR outcomes in terms of equity, environmental sustainability, and spatial justice. Three distinct participation paradigms – tokenistic, consultative & collaborative governance, and empowered co-production – emerge across the literature, each associated with differing levels of legitimacy, stakeholder influence, and long-term impact. By mapping these models against case-specific governance structures and participatory mechanisms, this review identifies key enabling conditions and constraints. We argue that BFR should be reconceptualized as a governance-driven process that embeds community agency from planning through implementation. This review not only advances participatory planning theory, but also contributes to sustainability transitions by highlighting the ecological and environmental co-benefits of inclusive BFR governance.