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Infill development is the process of redeveloping vacant or underused land within an existing urban area. This can include converting parking lots into housing, building new homes on empty lots, or adding additional stories to existing buildings. Infill development has a number of environmental and social benefits, including:
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions: Infill development can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for people to drive. When people live closer to where they work and shop, they can walk, bike, or take public transportation more often. This can help to reduce air pollution and improve public health.
- Increased affordable housing: Infill development can help to increase affordable housing by creating new housing units in areas that are already developed. This can help to reduce the cost of housing and make it more affordable for people to live in urban areas.
- Improved public health: Infill development can help to improve public health by creating more walkable and bikeable communities. This can encourage people to get more exercise, which can help to reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and other chronic health conditions.
- Enhanced community character: Infill development can help to enhance community character by creating more vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. This can make cities more attractive places to live and work, and it can also help to boost the local economy.
Despite the many benefits of infill development, there are also some challenges associated with it. These challenges include:
- NIMBYism: NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) is a term used to describe people who oppose development in their own neighborhood. NIMBYism can make it difficult to get infill development projects approved, even if they have widespread support from the community.
- Zoning restrictions: Zoning restrictions can also make it difficult to develop infill projects. Zoning restrictions often limit the height, density, and use of buildings in certain areas. This can make it difficult to build new housing units or convert existing buildings into new uses.
- Cost: Infill development can be more expensive than developing new land on the outskirts of a city. This is because infill development often requires the demolition of existing structures and the construction of new infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, infill development is an important tool for creating more sustainable and livable cities. By overcoming these challenges, we can create cities that are more affordable, healthy, and environmentally friendly.
Here are some policies that can make infill development possible:
- Zoning reform: Zoning reform can make it easier to build infill projects by reducing density restrictions and allowing for more mixed-use development.
- Financial incentives: Financial incentives, such as tax breaks or low-interest loans, can help to make infill development more affordable.
- Public-private partnerships: Public-private partnerships can help to share the risk of infill development projects and make them more feasible.
- Community engagement: Community engagement is essential for successful infill development projects. By involving the community in the planning process, we can help to ensure that infill projects meet the needs of the community.
Infill development is a powerful tool for creating more sustainable and livable cities. By overcoming the challenges associated with infill development, we can create cities that are more affordable, healthy, and environmentally friendly.