Why we can’t tackle the housing emergency in Scotland with brownfield sites alone​​​​​​​

The country’s vacant and derelict urban land covers an area roughly half the size of Glasgow. Many of these sites have sat dormant for decades. It’s tempting to assume we can avoid greenfield land and simply build where we’ve built before. But while some sites present opportunities to meet housing needs and regenerate towns and cities, they are not an easy win. Longstanding barriers – contamination, fragmented ownership, and inadequate infrastructure – make delivery difficult.

Unlike greenfield sites, which typically present fewer constraints, brownfield land needs early and sustained public investment.

Granton is a case in point. First master planned in the 1990s, its delivery has been stop-start. Thanks to alignment between local and national policy, legislative reform, public sector commitment and a long-term vision, we can now hope to see real change. Regeneration, when done right, delivers much more than homes. Granton’s transformation into a low-carbon, mixed-use community with green space, jobs and climate resilience speaks to the type of future Scotland is aiming to create. And when the tram eventually arrives, Granton is likely to see the same positive impact seen in other parts of the city.

But we can’t rely on flagship schemes alone to fix a national problem. For cities like Edinburgh, which has effectively adopted a brownfield-only approach in City Plan 2030, delivery depends on consistent and strategic intervention. This includes upfront investment in infrastructure – such as the tram route – clarity in the planning process, and stronger early-stage incentives for remediation and feasibility.

There is strong policy support for brownfield development – and there has been for years. National Planning Framework 4 prioritises reusing vacant and derelict land and generally opposes housing development on sites not allocated for that purpose. The Place Based Investment Programme and the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme signal intent. But without scaling up funding or addressing viability gaps, many sites will remain stuck in time.

The removal of the previous national planning ‘release valve’ – which allowed new sites, including greenfield land, to come forward where housing shortfalls existed – is compounding the issue.

Brownfield regeneration takes time. Site assembly, design, remediation and delivery can span years. In a market facing inflation and softening demand, confidence in complex sites isn’t guaranteed.

Targeted, long-term support is essential. Brownfield sites often help meet multiple policy goals, from climate action to town centre renewal, but the upfront costs are often too high to carry alone.

Crucially, brownfield is only part of the answer. Scotland needs a deliverable pipeline of land across all tenures, brownfield, greenfield and everything in between. Sustainable growth means using the right land, in the right place, at the right time.

With the right focus and investment, Granton can become a model for reclaiming post-industrial land and delivering on Scotland’s wider societal and environmental ambitions. But to get there, we must treat brownfield as a shared national mission and resource it accordingly.

Gordon Thomson, Turley’s planning lead in Scotland