Infill Development

Infill development can best be described as the placement of residential or commercial property on land that is currently underused, vacant, or abandoned. As such, it is commonly used in urban areas as an example of a strategy to curb sprawl and is advocated by proponents of “smart growth” policies. Infill development has become a relevant contemporary issue as urban neighborhoods become more economically obsolete over time. Part of the impetus behind the provision of infill housing arose from the Supreme Court case of Berman v. Parker (1954), which allowed for the elimination of blighted properties from urban neighborhoods as the first step in urban renewal revitalization efforts. Although infill development is usually associated with urban areas, suburban cities have their own opportunities to provide ...