Over the last two decades, economic restructuring has re-shaped both society and space, resulting in changes to urban form and an explosion in the number of brownfield sites. Increased socio-economic exclusion and the emergence of dualisms has become characteristic of the most recent period of industrialisation and has many policy implications for brownfield regeneration. This paper documents the early redevelopment of Dublin Docklands, highlighting the weaknesses of legislation and the increased social exclusion that has emerged. It is argued that by adopting the principle of environmental justice and by explicitly agreeing to legally binding broad-based development objectives, economic, physical and social rejuvenation can be simultaneously and successfully achieved.