The ongoing increase in global production has generated substantial volumes of waste, accumulated in landfills, open dumpsites, and brownfields of industrial waste. Although advances in recycling, reuse, and natural biodegradation have reduced the burden, legacy, and active and abandoned landfill sites remain critical environmental and urban planning challenges. Especially older or poorly managed sites – lack proper containment and post-closure care, resulting in unstable, degraded terrain often referred to as former dumps rather than engineered landfills. Real estate as well as municipal benefits can be gained in valuable lands with great developers’ interest, incorporating geotechnical engineering principles to ensure environmental safety, structural stability, and long-term viability for economic gains.
Case studies of an integrated, case-based evaluation of several closed or rehabilitated waste disposal sites that have transitioned from neglected, unusable land to ecologically functional green zones are proposed. These transformations are examined through the dual lenses of geotechnical redevelopment, such as soil stabilization, waste mass behavior, ground settlement control, surface sealing, and ecosystem services restoration. The selected perspective case studies from Latvia, Poland, and Estonia highlight effective future strategies in turning environmentally degraded lands into valuable urban assets.
A multi-criteria evaluation framework is employed to estimate ecosystem service gains alongside geotechnical remediation outcomes. Furthermore, the paper quantifies the post-redevelopment uplift in land value, emphasizing
the tangible benefits for urban planning and real estate stakeholders. These examples highlight the potential for landfill sites to be repurposed as integral components of urban green infrastructure, providing both ecological benefits and financial returns.
The study is presented at the international conference EcoServ 2025 “Ecosystem services in transdisciplinary approach”, in Poznan, Poland, on September 18-20, 2025
Research team:
Juris Burlakovs (1), Zane Vincevica-Gaile (1,2), Maija Fonteina-Kazeka (2), Maris Krievans (1,2), Martins Vilnitis (1), and Mait Kriipsalu (3)
- Riga Technical University
- University of Latvia
- Estonian University of Life Sciences