Community participation and stakeholder involvement play an essential role in successful brownfield development, as dozens of success stories attest. Yet historically, community participation in federally influenced redevelopment activities has been adversarial. In many quarters, community participation has an obstructionist reputation, viewed as a process that will slow down or derail a project rather than enhance its likelihood of success. In fact, a meaningful, inclusive process of stakeholder involvement has proven to be an important factor in the successful redevelopment and reuse of brownfield sites. This report offers a factual examination of the components of effective and meaningful citizen participation and describes its benefits for both communities and developers. These observations are based on meetings, workshops, and discussions with stakeholders who have been involved at more than100 brownfield sites in nearly as many cities over the past ten years. Their experience shows that as approaches to brownfield redevelopment evolve, the role of community participation is playing a larger and larger part.