Economics and the Environment

The existence of brownfield sites may become an undesireable commodity if it represents not only risks for health and the environment, but also becomes an eyesore, which may have a negative impact on the value of property in the vicinities of these abandoned facilities. This loss in value can be translated into a decrease in the price of land, increased unemployment, or the costs of the cleaning up processes. The aim of the book is to provide theoretical concepts and practical applications of the economic theory and its different approaches to the protection of the environment in brownfield areas. The book is divided in two parts. The first part gives the theoretical background and the second one presents a review of experiences from selected countries including a real case study from the Czech Republic. Each chapter provides practical applications, exercises and further sources of information. The book can be followed as a course for university students and for anyone who is interested in the topic. It is not necessary to have any academic economic background for its understanding, since the book is rich in figures that complement the systematic explanation of terminology.