Infill Development: Friend or Foe?

One of the hottest news stories in Charlotte last year was the launch of the Light Rail. As the population of our city expands, city leaders must continue to support urban growth and development policies that encourage higher density housing and infrastructure improvements.

Granted, rampant, unplanned development is the last thing that any responsible civic leader or homeowner would encourage, yet often times it seems infill developments are scrutinized far greater than suburban developments.

Infill development is actually positive growth in many respects. According to the Urban Land Institute, urban sprawl costs from 40-400% more than infill development due to the costs of building and maintaining new roads, sewers, fire stations and schools, not to mention the costs of air pollution, traffic congestion and loss of open space. The costs of sprawl are passed on to communities as higher taxes, the deterioration of local businesses, and a declining quality of life.

Infill development relieves growth pressures on rural areas and can improve quality of life for older communities. It also helps to achieve the goals of smart growth: support existing communities, preserve our best agricultural and natural areas, and save taxpayers from the high cost of building infrastructure to support development that has spread far from our traditional population centers.

Although nationally, the current number of infill housing starts is quite small (estimated at 1% of all development) in the context of all new development, it is emerging as a viable long-term method of reducing pressure for urban sprawl.

Infill development conserves a community's financial resources by taking advantage of existing infrastructure, increases walk ability of a city by contributing to safe and attractive pedestrian environments, and creates new opportunities for mixed-use neighborhoods that recapture the "sense of place" that is largely missing from sprawling suburban developments. Infill development is the key to accommodating growth and redesigning our cities to be environmentally and socially sustainable.

In Charlotte, one development trend is the emergence of infill "boutique condos" that provide an immediate sense of community and complement the surrounding neighborhoods. I have been fortunate to work with key developers on the sale of "boutique condos" such as Wesley View in Wesley Heights, 420 Queens in Myers Park and Ordermore 8 in Dilworth. In each case older structures that were beyond preservation were removed to allow for newer structures that blend with the surrounding areas maintain the neighborhood feel.

It is this ability to blend with and not overshadow a neighborhood, while providing housing that is in many cases more affordable detached housing in that neighborhood, that makes "boutique condo" developments so appealing.

To learn more about these developments and this growing trend please contact me direct at the number listed below.

T. J. Larsen is president of My Townhome Realty. He can be reached at 704-927-4431 or visit www.mytownhome.com.