--- title: BROWNFIELDS, FROM ABANDONES SITES TO CREATIVE CLUSTERS description: Huge gray areas, sad, abandoned. Brownfields are abandoned industrial areas in our country, which occupy 3 percent of the total territory, an area of about 9 thousand square kilometres equal to that o image: https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hubfs/karman-BROWNFIELDS-1.jpg --- - BLOG CATEGORIES - [Indoor](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/indoor-design) - [Outdoor](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/outdoor-design) - [Private home](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/private-home) - [Hotel](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/hotel) - [Restaurant and bar](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/restaurant) - [Retail](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/retail) - [Lighting technology](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/lighting-technology) - [Materials](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/materials) - [ABOUT KARMAN](https://karmanitalia.it/en/the-company/) - [CONTACT US](https://karmanitalia.it/en/contact-us/) [![storybox-karman-logo](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hs-fs/hubfs/storybox-karman-logo.png?width=350&name=storybox-karman-logo.png)](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en) - BLOG CATEGORIES - [Indoor](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/indoor-design) - [Outdoor](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/outdoor-design) - [Private home](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/private-home) - [Hotel](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/hotel) - [Restaurant and bar](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/restaurant) - [Retail](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/retail) - [Lighting technology](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/lighting-technology) - [Materials](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/materials) - [ABOUT KARMAN](https://karmanitalia.it/en/the-company/) - [CONTACT US](https://karmanitalia.it/en/contact-us/) ## FOLLOW KARMAN - - - - - - - - - - [mailto:someone@example.com?Subject=6%20lamps%20to%20have%20a%20fairy%20garden&Body=https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/karman-outdoor/](mailto:someone@example.com?Subject=6%20lamps%20to%20have%20a%20fairy%20garden&Body=https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/karman-outdoor/) [Lighting technology](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/lighting-technology) # BROWNFIELDS, FROM ABANDONES SITES TO CREATIVE CLUSTERS --- Posted On 2 September 2016 Huge gray areas, sad, abandoned. **Brownfields are abandoned industrial areas in our country, which occupy 3 percent of the total territory**, an area of about 9 thousand square kilometres equal to that of the Umbria region.   ![brownfields 5_Fotor](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/brownfields-5_Fotor-3.jpg?width=915&height=610&name=brownfields-5_Fotor-3.jpg)   What should be done with them? Project planners, creators and designers have always seen new opportunities for economic and social development at these ghost sites, thanks to a targeted reconversion. The urban void left by these degraded and dangerous areas often give way to innovative clusters that can improve the quality of the environment and are dedicated to sustainable development.   ![brownfields 1_Fotor](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/brownfields-1_Fotor-3.jpg?width=915&height=610&name=brownfields-1_Fotor-3.jpg)   **Some numbers** According to ANCE, **there are over 9 million Italians potentially interested in the issue of former industrial areas**, with an average of 2 sites per town, which also concern military areas and abandoned or held for sale railway areas. Confindustria has estimated a total value of land reclamation equivalent to 30 billion euros, with **415,000 potential jobs across the country**, without resorting to the consumption of new land. In Italy, [Audis](http://www.audis.it)(Association of Abandoned Urban Areas) was founded in 1995, which also has an internal research centre.   ![brownfields 2_Fotor](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/brownfields-2_Fotor-3.jpg?width=915&height=610&name=brownfields-2_Fotor-3.jpg)   **The example of London** There are former factories converted back to production sites, but also complete residential and tourist-commercial areas with services for citizens. One of the clearest examples of these conversions undoubtedly regards **London's famous docks**, former port areas overlooking the North banks of the Thames, by now having entered into the collective imagination. These enormous docks, which once welcomed merchant ships, with the arrival of containers and the decline of port activity overtaken by other industrial and craft activities, quickly became rundown neighbourhoods. This happened until the '70s, when the docks had become completely abandoned. While the port of London was gradually disappearing, the docks, however, remained and today, after the economic boom, **have become hotels, offices, luxury apartments, museums and restaurants.**   ![brownfields 3_Fotor](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/brownfields-3_Fotor-2.jpg?width=915&height=610&name=brownfields-3_Fotor-2.jpg)   **Do you want to participate?** The Sesto San Giovanni Municipality [has issued a call](http://www.sestosg.net/sportelli/citta/tuttamiaquestacitta/scheda/,5523) addressed to designers and creators, entitled "**All mine this city**", to rethink the urban space starting from its inhabitants, giving value to the city and to its historical identity. You can submit a project for a budget of 30 thousand euros, focusing on urban design, green restyling, the re-use of open spaces, colour design and street art design. Submissions are accepted until October 31, 2016.   [Lighting technology](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/lighting-technology) Share ![Ilaria Traditi](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9d7677ad703fb2db266826db5ba826b?s=200&d=mm&r=g) AUTHOR ### [Ilaria Traditi](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/author/ilaria-traditi) ## WHO WE ARE ![Karman-logo-black](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hs-fs/hubfs/Karman-logo-black.png?width=100&name=Karman-logo-black.png) Karman, an Italian company, was founded in 2005 in Fossombrone. The company's world moves itself with simplicity towards an original and personal decorative use of lighting in both private surroundings and public spaces. [READ MORE »](https://www.karmanitalia.it/en/azienda/) ## TOPICS [Art](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/art) | [Architecture ](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/architecture)| [Indoor Design](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/indoor-design)| [Outdoor Design](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/outdoor-design)| [Materials](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/materials)| [Private Home](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/private-home) | [Hotel ](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/hotel)| [Restaurant](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/restaurant) | [Retail](https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/tag/retail) ### FOLLOW KARMAN - - - - - © 2025 [Karman Srl](https://www.karmanitalia.it/en/) |  [Privacy and Cookie Policy](https://www.karmanitalia.it/en/privacy-cookie-policy/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ilaria Traditi", "url" : "https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/author/ilaria-traditi" }, "dateModified" : "2021-06-11T14:16:04.594Z", "datePublished" : "2016-09-02T09:34:21.000Z", "headline" : "BROWNFIELDS, FROM ABANDONES SITES TO CREATIVE CLUSTERS", "image" : [ "https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hubfs/karman-BROWNFIELDS-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/brownfields-siti-dismessi-cluster-creativi", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hubfs/Karman-logo-01.png" }, "name" : "Karman srl" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ilaria Traditi", "url" : "https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/en/author/ilaria-traditi" }, "dateModified" : "2021-06-11T14:16:04", "datePublished" : "2016-09-02T09:34:21", "description" : "Huge gray areas, sad, abandoned. Brownfields are abandoned industrial areas in our country, which occupy 3 percent of the total territory, an area of about 9 thousand square kilometres equal to that o", "headline" : "BROWNFIELDS, FROM ABANDONES SITES TO CREATIVE CLUSTERS", "image" : [ "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3920789/karman-BROWNFIELDS-1.jpg" ], "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://storybox.karmanitalia.it/hs-fs/hubfs/storybox-karman-logo.png" }, "name" : "Karman Italia" } } ```