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 Back to Solutions: Concentrating Growth and Development
Infill Development
Infill Housing is a more efficient development pattern since it utilizes existing infrastructure.
The goals of the Infill Housing Program of the City of Phoenix include encouraging development of vacant or underutilized land located in the mature central portions of Phoenix, as well as promoting a variety of housing styles, types and price ranges, appropriate to the surrounding neighborhoods. Also, emphasis is placed on owner-occupied housing to help fight blight and decay within the infill area and promote neighborhood stability through home ownership.
The City of Burnaby, British Columbia's, Infill Housing: Be a Good Neighbour provides contractors, builders and homeowners with information and ideas on what infill builders should do as "good neighbours", and what local residents should expect from an infill project. By following some of these practises builders can make sure that their projects create the most benefits for the neighborhood with the least possible disruption. Being a considerate builder is good business practice.
New infill housing in Owego, NY. We've heard of school conversions into housing, but it wasn't until Bryan Coates, a planner with the the Tioga County Department of Economic Development & Planning contacted us that we heard of a jail conversion.
The old Tioga County jail in Owego, NY looked like an interesting
project to Bruce Nelson in 1997. It had stood empty for years, but he
saw the building as a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of local history.
Working with the Owego Historical Society he embarked on this adventure
with much enthusiasm, seeing the project as a challenge and also as a
vehicle to express his creativity.
The renovation construction began early in 1998 and after two years, the
former sheriff's house and the jail now hold five unique apartments and
first floor office space. Along with bringing in the new, Bruce managed
to leave many of the original characteristics of the buildings. The
apartments include original marble fireplace mantels, brick walls and
bars on the windows. One apartment still has original jail cells, now
converted into a bedroom suite area.
Standing across the street from the Court House, the newly refurbished
exterior, porches, lighting and landscape add a definite revitalization
note to downtown Owego; and the adventure continues with more office
space and possibly a cafe-type restaurant yet to be developed.
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Infill housing is being promoted by everyone from environmentalists to transportation activists to housing advocates. But even with this widespread support, why is it still so difficult to get infill housing built?
-- see Sprawl is Like the Weather, by Brent Thompson (on why increased density is important to controlling sprawl)
Brave New World, by Melissa Herron. On how to market infill projects.
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