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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 such development once land parcels become underutilized, and thus obsolete.

Reasons for Advocating Infill Development

From the consumer side, infill housing provides more families with the opportunity to enjoy urban living, thus alleviating the need for significant commutes from outer suburban areas. Several cities are experiencing an increase in the number of their downtown residents, reversing a decades-long trend. This urban relocation is a reflection of the status symbol that households place on such prime locations. Lower commute time also provides an opportunity for more community involvement and greater access to cultural and other resources provided by the urban environment, as opposed to the suburbs and exurbs. Demographic shifts also suggest the growth of populations that would be most amenable to residing in infill housing. As housing markets experience shifts toward smaller families, a more active retiree population, households without children, and single households, infill development becomes a more attractive residential choice. In addition, a number of community government employees and workers from vital employment centers such as hospitals and universities are increasingly given incentives to live closer to their jobs, in essence furthering the demand for infill housing. Meanwhile, several households have indicated their interest in, through either official surveys or ballot initiatives, the displeasures associated with sprawl-type conditions within their communities, such as increased commute times, declining air quality, environmental degradation, and other quality-of-life issues. Although some consumers may not initially be attracted to infill development, there is evidence that prospective home buyers will purchase within these communities if they receive some form of community amenity in return, such as parks or access to bicycle routes.

Communities also gain from infill development strategies. Infill within urban settings provides homeownership opportunities for all income categories, which is one of the main drivers behind families fleeing to the suburbs. Infill development also provides more tax revenue by making obsolete land uses productive once again. On the cost side, local governments benefit from infill development, in that public expenditures for infrastructure will decrease as development moves away from the urban fringe. Infill development also provides one of the best methods for implementing a mixed-income housing environment—one of the key ingredients in contemporary community development efforts.

Obstacles and Barriers to Infill Development

One of the primary challenges of infill is community resistance to new development in already-dense areas. Such anxiety is based on perceptions that infill will likely lead to higher property taxes and more undesirable populations moving nearby. Because infill requires higher-density residential and commercial patterns, there is also concern about access to and availability of such services as street parking. Some communities also bemoan the decline in privacy that ultimately accompanies an increase in density. In older neighborhoods, residents are particularly concerned about the detrimental effects that poorly planned infill projects have on the community, particularly in ignoring its historical and sociological aspects.

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