Smart
growth directs development towards existing
communities already served by infrastructure,
seeking to utilize the resources that existing
neighborhoods offer, and conserve open space
and irreplaceable natural resources on the urban
fringe. Develop-ment in existing neighborhoods
also represents an approach to growth that can
be more cost-effective, and improves the quality
of life for its residents. By encouraging develop-ment
in existing communities, communities benefit
from a stronger tax base, closer proximity of
a range of jobs and services, increased efficiency
of already developed land and infrastructure,
reduced development pressure in edge areas thereby
preserving more open space, and, in some cases,
strengthening rural communities.
The
ease of greenfield development remains an obstacle
to encouraging more develop-ment in existing
neighborhoods. Development on the fringe remains
attractive to developers for its ease of access
and construction, lower land costs, and potential
for developers to assemble larger parcels. Typical
zoning requirements in fringe areas are often
easier to comply with, as there are often few
existing building types that new construction
must complement, and a relative absence of residents
who may object to the inconvenience or disruption
caused by new construction.
Nevertheless,
developers and communities are recognizing the
opportunities presented by infill development,
as suggested not only by demographic shifts,
but also in response to a growing awareness
of the fiscal, environmental, and social costs
of development focused disproportionately on
the urban fringe. Journals that track real estate
trends routinely cite the investment appeal
of the “24-hour city” for empty
nesters, young professionals, and others, and
developers are beginning to respond. A 2001
report by Urban Land Institute on urban infill
housing states that, in 1999, the increase in
housing permit activity in cities relative to
average annual figures from the preceding decade
exceeded that of the suburbs, indicating that
infill development is possible and profitable.
