It used to be that landfills and brownfields were relegated for future development solely as dog parks and golf courses. But a new real estate development in Emeryville, California, indicates that such sites are increasingly attractive as urban redevelopment zones.

Bay Street is located in a heavy industrial section of Emeryville -- but is being revamped as a three-block, $400-million retail and residential neighborhood featuring a movie theater, a hotel, and more than 300 residential units. The project is an impressive example of the reinvention of an industrial city, the reclamation of misused land, and mixed-use development.