Development of a GIS-Based Approach for Integrating Brownfields into Green Infrastructure Networks in Shrinking Cities

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) is considered a key component of climate-resilient urban development and biodiversity conservation. Although brownfields are recognized as valuable resources for UGI development in shrinking cities, systematic approaches for assessing their contribution to ecological connectivity and identifying priority sites at the municipal scale remain limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent an approach originally developed by Marulli and Mallarach (2005) for large-scale applications can be adapted to the smaller municipal scale and used as a municipal planning tool for integrating brownfields into UGI networks. The methodology was applied to the municipality of Oranienbaum-Wörlitz (Germany). Brownfields were incorporated into a modelled future UGI scenario, and the results were compared with the baseline scenario. The study demonstrates that methodological adaptations enable the approach to be applied at the municipal scale. However, compared with the original methodology, these adaptations limit the interpretation of the results to structural connectivity. The modelling enabled the identification of priority brownfield sites that, due to their spatial location, exhibit particular potential to strengthen the structural connectivity of the existing network if developed as elements of UGI. The developed GIS-based approach can therefore serve as a data-efficient screening tool for identifying strategically important brownfields and supporting municipal green infrastructure planning in shrinking cities.