Abstract
Limiting land take is an important sustainability target. To this end, infill development is a primary strategy. To implement this strategy, policy-makers need a reliable knowledge base on infill development potential (IDP), such as brownfields, vacant lots and underused lots. This study presents the results of the first comprehensive national survey of IDP in Germany. Almost 12% of German municipalities were contacted by questionnaire. In contrast to previous studies, this study also takes into account smaller towns and small-scale vacant lots, which would otherwise lead to a considerable underestimation. Additionally, a feasibility study shows how IDPs can be identified using a geospatial approach. Here, a procedure is presented that allows the identification of IDPs and the differentiation between vacant and underused lots by analysing urban morphology using nationwide and commonly available geospatial base data. The results provide a good basis for an initial inventory. However, to obtain more accurate results, additional specific data would be required, the accessibility of which is currently limited. With the development of an improved spatial data infrastructure combined with Open Data initiatives, geographical information system (GIS)-based procedures for the automated detection and monitoring of IDPs could become more important in future. <strong><em>Policy relevance</em></strong> If the objectives of land policy, especially the avoidance of urban sprawl, are to be achieved, then the more efficient use of already developed land is essential. At the strategic level of policy development, knowledge of land suitable for infill development is as necessary as knowledge of the land take. Currently, regular standardised questionnaire surveying is the effective method for analysing infill development potential (IDP) and its development on a large scale. Geospatial approaches can help to identify potentials, especially on vacant and underused lots. Thus, they have a considerable potential to serve as heuristic tools for local practitioners seeking to begin reflecting on infill development options. Policy-makers and planners should recognise this potential and develop it further in cooperation with the scientific community. However, decision-makers are not spared from weighing the appropriate density in the respective context—and this has not become easier under the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
AND AIM OF THE STUDYIn the absence of policy interventions, urban settlements will cover 4–5% of global land area by 2050 (Kemp-Benedict et al 2002; Electris et al 2009), by which point almost 70% of the world’s population will live in cities (United Nations 2012)
Urban expansion is frequently concomitant with decreasing city densities (UNEP 2014), leading to what is criticised as urban sprawl: unused or underused spaces emerge, indicating development inefficiencies (EEA 2006)
More than 90% of the municipalities that participated in the survey were able to provide quantitative information on infill development potential (IDP) according to the defined classes
Summary
In the absence of policy interventions, urban settlements will cover 4–5% of global land area by 2050 (Kemp-Benedict et al 2002; Electris et al 2009), by which point almost 70% of the world’s population will live in cities (United Nations 2012). Urban expansion is frequently concomitant with decreasing city densities (UNEP 2014), leading to what is criticised as urban sprawl: unused or underused spaces emerge, indicating development inefficiencies (EEA 2006). Infill development is an important approach to reducing land take and countering ongoing density losses to lead to more efficient land use (e.g. in terms of housing per unit of land area or utilisation of urban infrastructure) (McConnell & Wiley 2010; Schiller 2007; Schiller et al 2009). Germany has set an ambitious goal for itself to reduce land take from 66 ha/day in 2015 to
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