The principal methodological approach of RESCUE is to analyse and evaluate current practice in brownfield re-development within the framework of sustainability and to derive improvements for the applied procedures. Based on practice in industrial core regions in France (Nord-Pas de Calais), the United Kingdom (The East Midlands region of England, North-East of England), Poland (Silesia) and Germany (Ruhr Region, Southern District of Leipzig), the regeneration process will be broken down into the main steps of decision making and analysed along transnational work packages.

The analysis will be done based on eight case study sites provided by the participating countries. Each of the four partner countries will bring in two projects that illustrate the regeneration processes in their countries and comprise elements of sustainability. The breadth of this approach is desired to ensure an almost complete representation of the different approaches to brownfield redevelopment. It is also desired to provide a wide range of relevant decision factors that may lead to the success and / or to the failure of the projects.