At SCS Engineers, our Brownfields experts help communities and organizations unlock the full value of Brownfield redevelopment by moving beyond compliance-driven cleanup to climate-resilient, community-centered investment. As climate change intensifies flooding, heat, infrastructure stress, and environmental inequities, we help clients repurpose underused sites as part of a broader resilience plan. Our experts integrate remediation, funding strategy, regulatory insight, sustainability planning, and practical implementation to transform these sites into long-term assets — reducing flood risk, supporting clean energy, restoring ecological function, lowering emissions, and creating equitable public value.
For executives and city planners, the opportunity is clear: Brownfields are not just environmental liabilities to resolve; they are strategic platforms for climate adaptation, resilience, reinvestment, and measurable community impact. This strategy can also open up fund-stacking opportunities for grants and other investment resources by combining stormwater, climate resiliency, and Brownfields funds. It can help get a project going that wouldn’t otherwise happen.
This article was published in the Climate Change Business Journal, Volume XIX, Numbers 7-8-9: Q3 2026 Adaptation & Resilience.
Additional Brownfields Resources and Contacts:
About the Authors:
Joy Stephens, Environmental Scientist, has over two decades of experience spanning military intelligence, education, sustainability, and environmental consulting. As a key member of the sustainability services team at SCS Engineers, she brings deep expertise in remote sensing, GIS, greenhouse gas accounting, energy management, and zero-waste strategies. She works with both public and private clients to develop practical, forward-thinking sustainability solutions that balance benefits to people, planet, and profitability.
Melissa Schick, National Partner for Brownfields and Grant Funding, has two decades of experience in EPA Brownfields and redevelopment funding programs. She works with communities nationwide to secure and manage funding from a wide range of federal and state sources. She brings a combination of brownfields program management, funding strategy, and hands-on implementation experience, guiding clients through grant applications, regulatory coordination, community engagement, and long-term project delivery.
