Which statement best describes greenfield risks in a geospatial context?

• A. They involve evaluating new sites with unknown constraints and ecological impacts.
• B. They primarily concern cleanup of previously developed sites with legacy infrastructure.
• C. They are irrelevant to site planning and cost estimation.
• D. They assume full knowledge of environmental constraints.

Answer: (A)

Greenfield risks in geospatial planning center on evaluating undeveloped sites where constraints and ecological impacts are not yet known. The idea is that there’s little or no prior development data to draw on, so uncertainty about conditions like soils, drainage, flood risk, habitat presence, biodiversity, and regulatory restrictions drives risk assessment and decision-making. This is why the statement describing greenfield risks as involving new sites with unknown constraints and ecological impacts is the best fit: it captures the essential uncertainty and the need to anticipate ecological and regulatory factors before design and cost decisions are made. The other ideas mischaracterize greenfield risk: cleanup of legacy infrastructure points to brownfield risk, not greenfield; treating greenfield risks as irrelevant to planning and cost estimation ignores the central role of uncertainty in early site selection; and assuming full knowledge of environmental constraints contradicts the very nature of undeveloped land where information is limited.