Infill Development Research Articles

Overseeing Infill

Problem, research strategy, and findings Several U.S. states with high housing costs have recently adopted laws intended to promote infill development. These new laws expand state agencies’ supervisory responsibilities to ensure that local governments comply with state mandates. Effective administration of these laws will require state agencies to accurately estimate the amount of new housing that might be created and to target review to the jurisdictions that are failing to meet the relevant requirements. Here we present quantitative tools both for prioritizing review of local plans and zoning ordinances and for estimating future housing development. We applied the tools to the implementation of California laws requiring local governments to amend their zoning ordinances to allow accessory dwelling units on parcels zoned for detached single-family housing development. We provide computer code, written in the open-source statistical computing language R, that implements these tools. Although we present off-the-shelf tools, our proposed tools should supplement other regulatory techniques rather than serving as a substitute. Takeaway for practice Requirements for local governments to allow infill development should be accompanied by mandates for data collection. With good data, state agencies can use open-source statistical software to create quantitative measures that can help estimate future housing production and set priorities for reviewing local plans and zoning ordinances.

Machine-Learning Algorithms Optimize Drilling-Center Locations Offshore

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 211772, “Optimizing Future Drilling-Center Locations Using Advanced Analytics and Machine-Learning Algorithms Offshore Abu Dhabi,” by Rail Salimov, Benoit Jaffres, and Jamal Alblooshi, ADNOC, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ Long-term development planning requires infill drilling. Because of the limited number of slots in the offshore environment, new drilling centers (wellhead towers) are required. Optimized location of drilling centers can play a major role in reducing drilling expenses. Two main challenges related to wellhead-tower placement are discussed in the complete paper: first, where to place future drilling centers based on subsurface coordinates and drilling constraints; and second, how to allocate dozens of subsurface targets to multiple drilling centers. The drilling-center placement optimization algorithm developed by the authors is based on multiple optimization parameters related to well cost. Introduction To finalize well trajectories, and thus best manage well costs, before the drilling phase, the following detailed analyses are required: - Evaluation of horizontal trajectory in terms of landing point and total depth - Optimization of horizontal drain length - Optimization of the horizontal drain length in the best oil-bearing zone - Torque-and-drag evaluation - Anticollision assessment - Selection of optimal completion accessories However, for most giant offshore fields with complex plans, hundreds or even thousands of infill developments are required. Definition of optimal locations and allocations of wells to drilling centers will require multiple iterations of already tedious work. An alternative methodology is described in the complete paper that allows finalization of future facility placement with the use of open-source machine-programming tools and applied mathematics. The presented methodology was deployed successfully on two major offshore fields where current production is connected through wellhead towers. Evolution of the development plan and the ramp-up of production means that additional drilling is planned during the next 10 years. Approximately 100–150 development wells are planned to be drilled from yet-to-be-constructed wellhead towers. One of the main challenges in achieving cost efficiency is effective placement of the new towers to minimize the total drain length of all development wells. The methodology covers the two most important aspects of facility construction that play vital roles in optimization of capital investment in facility expansions of offshore oil and gas fields. These aspects are optimized allocation of future wells to drilling centers and placement of those drilling centers.

Comparing city practitioners’ and residents’ perceptions of a liveable neighbourhood in Finland

ABSTRACT Planning sustainable and liveable communities requires considering residents’ perceptions and preferences. However, practitioners’ values and preferences can also determine the development of neighbourhoods, which has rarely been recognized. Thus, we compared if residents’ and practitioners’ perceptions match regarding 1) factors they considered valuable for neighbourhoods and 2) the development needs of specific neighbourhoods. We studied three Finnish suburbs using practitioner workshops and residential surveys. In general, the practitioners’ and residents’ values matched well. Both groups rated cleanliness, non-traffic related safety, essential services, and green spaces as the most important factors. However, residents valued traffic safety and lighting of routes more than practitioners. The practitioners and residents mostly agreed on how to develop the neighbourhoods in the future. The resident views not fully considered in the practitioners’ development objectives were noise disturbances, and infill development as a threat to green spaces. This study underlined the importance of considering safety and access to green spaces in planning and developing suburbs. The study also revealed the complexity of integrating different aspects of liveability on an individual and neighbourhood/city scale. The integration of different dimensions of liveability in planning may require the use of participatory planning-support tools.

Assessing the Urban Vacant Land Potential for Infill Housing: A Case Study in Oklahoma City, USA

Vacant land in residual urban areas is a crucial resource to tackle the current climate and housing crises. In this study, we present the development of a geodatabase to determine the occurrence of vacant land in the urban core of Oklahoma City, USA (OKC), and assess its potential for infill housing. As a starting point, we define urban vacant land through a literature review. We present a description of the case study’s social and urbanistic context by highlighting its relevance to this study. We explain the methodology for the development of the geodatabase to quantify residual urban land in OKC’s urban core. We examine the spatial distribution and recurring characteristics of vacant parcels using QGIS, Python scripting for Rhinoceros 3D, and aerial imagery. We find that small parcels have higher vacancy rates than average-sized parcels and there is a correlation between higher vacancy rates and proximity to downtown and brownfields. Finally, we discuss the implications of the findings by assessing the urban vacant land potential for residential development and its contribution to OKC’s housing provision. Under all the proposed scenarios, the considered developable vacant land in the urban core could entirely fulfill the need for new housing units for the entire city.

The Chesapeake Bay Land Change Model: Simulating future land use scenarios and potential impacts on water quality

AbstractThe Chesapeake Bay Land Change Model (CBLCM) is an open‐source pseudo‐cellular automata land change model tailored for loose coupling with watershed models. The CBLCM simulates infill development, residential and commercial development, natural land and agricultural land conversion, and growth served by sewer or septic wastewater treatment. The CBLCM is unique among land change models by simulating multiple types of development and explicitly accounting for infill development and the spatial patterns of development densities. The CBLCM was used to simulate five future land use scenarios, holding population constant, for all counties within and adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay watershed from 2013 to 2055. Results are presented here for the state of Maryland over the period 2013–2025 to illustrate model functionality and validation. The growth management (GM) scenario achieved the least development and potential impacts to natural and agricultural lands while accommodating the same amount of population growth as the other four scenarios. Scenarios focusing exclusively on natural or agricultural land protection shifted development to unprotected areas resulting in unforeseen water quality consequences. Simultaneously achieving more compact development while protecting the most valued natural and agricultural lands requires a combination of GM and land conservation policies and actions.

Reaping the premium in urban redevelopment

IntroductionThis paper investigates new new-built premium in urban redevelopments. Constructing new homes on urban redevelopment sites entails additional investments in reshaped lay-out, refurbished infrastructure, and upgraded outdoor areas. These improvements are expected to yield new-build premiums when the new units are put on the market, with ‘premium’ defined as the extra price that a developer asks for, compared to similar units in the second-hand market, in nearby locations. We askDo urban redevelopment schemes create extra new-build premiums? Does the organisation of redevelopments affect the size of the premium and who harvests it? Method and dataIn focus here are redevelopment schemes in Oslo, Norway, 2002–2015. It distinguishes between four types of developments: greyfield, brownfield and two kinds of infill. This distinction is applied to compare new-build premiums in various redevelopments. As the value-added from upgraded redevelopment may spill over to adjacent neighbourhoods, we also analyse whether such neighbourhoods experience hikes in house-prices. Our dataset consists of sales transactions from approx. 90,000 second-hand house sales and 19,000 new house sales. Results/findingsThe premium for new-builds in relation to second-hand sales varies significantly among the types of development. Units in small infill developments entail significantly higher new-built premiums than units in large brownfield- or greyfield redevelopments. Moreover, some schemes show a negative new-build premium. Examination of existing houses nearby shows a hike in prices in the time-span in question. We conclude that the new-build premium is low, and that developers fail to harvest full new-build premiums in urban redevelopment schemes. DiscussionIn interpreting our findings, we revisit ‘rent-gap theory’ and its emphasis on attracting investment to rundown central areas. Concurrence in scale, design and time helps to explain the differences across types of redevelopments, and why what might be expected to be new-build premiums instead raise prices in existing neighbouring areas.

How have South Australian urban planning policies affected Blakeview’s surface temperatures?

ABSTRACT The South Australian Government is creating plans, policies, and strategies (PPS) that are preferencing infill development. While there are benefits to infill development, if scientific evidence is not adequately incorporated into these PPS, they can elevate urban temperatures. This study investigated Blakes Crossing, an infill development of Blakeview (South Australia) to identify the extent to which scientific evidence has informed the PPS that guided its urban fabric and their impact on Blakeview’s urban temperature. This was achieved by comparatively analysing the temporal PPS that guided Blakes Crossing’s urban fabric, with primary remote sensing data (using Landsat 8 imagery) that identified and compared Blakes Crossing’s land cover composition and surface temperature against four neighbouring areas. This study found that all tiers of government have applied a reductionist approach when applying science to form their PPS. This has resulted in inadequate cooling policies and principles being incorporated into Blakes Crossing’s urban design, thereby, elevating its surface temperature by as much as 2.67°C when compared to this study’s other analysed areas and consequently, elevating Blakeview’s surface temperature. To ameliorate the disconnect between science and planning, scientific tools such as remote sensing should help guide future PPS to effectively reduce urban temperatures.

Housing publics: Situated resistance to public housing redevelopment in New York City under racial capitalism

In this paper, I describe resistance to a public housing redevelopment process in New York City. I describe the story within a theoretical approach of pragmatism, as I focus on both means and ends in planning while considering the experience and contestations of the various “publics” involved in deliberations surrounding a pilot site for mixed-income infill development. While pragmatism is helpful in reflecting on planning processes, I also simultaneously acknowledge the context of how racial capitalism has shaped and continues to impact the geography of the city, including public housing communities. As such, I propose that residents engaged in “situated resistance” as plans to radically transform the largest housing authority in the United States unfolded around them. I find that while the housing authority and residents had the same objective of preserving existing public housing, their desired paths to achieving that goal dramatically differed. I conclude by proposing that robust democratic engagement requires reparative approaches rooted in racial and economic justice that substantively and procedurally center African American communities such as those living in public housing. By introducing pragmatism alongside racial capitalism through the case of public housing redevelopment, I ultimately highlight the importance of fusing theories of democratic and structural change in urban redevelopment.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY MILIEU: A CASE STUDY OF FAISALABAD CITY, PAKISTAN

This research aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in urban development pattern and to discuss the spatial urban pattern in the context of sustainability. For this purpose, geospatial techniques were used to analyze the spatial urban development pattern of study area. The existing development pattern in Faisalabad city is linear sprawl at outer edges of the city along major roads and infill development pattern in the center of the city that has been observed very closely in this research and results also revealed this pattern is likely to sustainable. However, the major finding reflects that Faisalabad city is experiencing phenomenal physical development pattern rather than pre- planned development pattern. So, there is an urgent need of urban lens to facilitate such delineations. The broader purpose of this research work was to conceptualize the urban sustainability for better development and planning of Faisalabad city.

Mapping soft densification: a geospatial approach for identifying residential infill potentials

Infill development policies have been widely adopted as strategies to reduce urban sprawl and to promote sustainable urban transformation. However, little empirical data are available to analyse infill processes and to facilitate building activity on infill potentials. This is especially true for small-scale residential infill, which often takes place on vacant or underused lots as soft densification. To address this issue, a geospatial method is presented that enables automatic detection of vacant lots for large areas. Cadastral data are used to analyse spatio-temporal development for the period 2011–21 in a German study area, containing large cites as well as rural municipalities. The results show that every fourth vacant lot was mobilised since 2011. However, additional vacant lots emerged in rural areas as new residential development areas are not fully built-up, resulting in a net increase of vacant lots. Although the quantity of vacant lot areas in 2021 suggests a high potential for residential infill, the main development on these infill sites is expected to promote additional single-family housing rather than more dense structures. Practice relevance Automatic identification and monitoring of infill potentials and development are important both for policymaking and for local planning practitioners. For small municipalities with little financial capacities, the approach can provide an overview of their vacant lots and can serve as a basis for strategic planning decisions. For the regional or national level, a yearly monitoring schedule can be established at little cost. Although the approach proves to be robust regarding its precision and is promising for a nationwide application, the data availability for the whole of Germany is awaited and the method needs to be optimised to implement the workflow in practice.

Developer Response to the Removal of Minimum Parking Requirements in Buffalo

The widespread adoption of minimum parking requirements in American zoning codes has resulted in off-street parking provision as a compulsory part of the land development process. A robust academic literature on the effects of minimum parking requirements has identified that parking prioritization induces more driving and results in harmful consequences such as traffic congestion, air pollution, and sprawl. On the adoption of its 2017 Unified Development Ordinance (Green Code), Buffalo (NY) became the first major city in the United States to implement the complete removal of minimum parking requirements. The new zoning code sans parking minimums offers real estate developers greater flexibility on new real estate development projects because off-street parking lots can be reduced in size or removed altogether from developments, and land previously reserved for required off-street parking can now be used in other ways on development sites. To better understand the development responses to parking deregulation in Buffalo, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews with 10 real estate development and lending professionals that have been involved in new development projects since 2017. Three takeaway messages emerged. First, when minimum parking requirements are removed, parcels amid high-walkability and multimodal travel opportunities are more desirable for development. Second, lower parking ratios are useful for infill development projects and contribute to filling existing gaps in the urban fabric. Third, the removal of parking requirements enables developers to benefit from increased feasibility on projects, both in relation to financial viability and the ability to configure developments on smaller urban parcels.

Evaluation of Land Use Efficiency in Tehran’s Expansion between 1986 and 2021: Developing an Assessment Framework Using DEMATEL and Interpretive Structural Modeling Methods

This paper aims to reveal the shortcomings of the land use efficiency assessment formula presented in SDG 11.3.1 Indicator and develop a framework that can provide urban planners with a more accurate understanding of the variables influencing and/or influenced by urban expansion. Based on the mentioned formula, Tehran never experienced urban shrinkage between 1986 and 2021, as shown by the relationship between land consumption and population growth. However, the research findings indicate that land allocation patterns have not only decreased most urban services per capita, but have also undermined ecosystem services during this period. In this paper, we propose a new assessment framework by which a dual aspect of urban planning is addressed, namely providing sustainable urban services while protecting natural resources, and using ecosystem services sustainably to support cost–beneficial urbanization. For this purpose, a total of ten mainly repeated contributing variables were collected in the categories of environmental, physical-spatial, and economic–social effects of urban expansion. A questionnaire based on these variables was prepared, and 14 urban planning experts collaborated to classify the variables and identify causal relationships between them. In the following, data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using DEMATEL and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methods to determine which variables influence and/or are influenced by urban expansion (and to what extent). Third-level variables that directly influence urban expansion include transportation (A6), infill development (A7), and entrepreneurship (A10). Spatial justice (A8) and housing and population attraction (A9) were identified as middle-level variables that both affect and are affected by urban expansion. Finally, land surface temperature (A1), air pollution (A2), sewage and waste (A3), water resources (A4), and vegetation (A5) were identified as first-level variables that are mainly affected by urban expansion.

Urban Consolidation in Australia's Four Largest Capital Cities: Tangible Outcomes of Inner-city Apartment Developments and Their Implications for Urban Planners

Urban consolidation has become dominant practice in metropolitan planning across Australia’s four largest capital cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth – as a result of the escalating need to manage rapid population growth and limit urban expansion. The strategic push for higher-density residential dwellings, such as apartment complexes, around strategic infill locations and activity centres is partly in response to the rising demand for more diversity in Australia’s housing stock. Supplementary factors include demographic shifts, cultural changes, and ongoing concerns regarding housing affordability, liveability, accessibility and climate change. Although this style of development has been at the forefront of state government planning agendas for at least a decade, presently little is understood about the outcomes of inner-city apartment buildings, particularly in Perth, as most of the research on modern infill projects in Australia focuses on Sydney and Melbourne.The primary aim of this research is, therefore, to investigate the outcomes of high- Density inner-city apartment developments for residents, the community and urban planners within Australia’s four largest capital cities, with a particular focus on Perth. The research is informed by a review of academic and government literature concerning infill and apartment developments in the specified cities, as well as a case study of a recently constructed apartment building in one of Perth’s main activity centres, Fremantle. The study found that state and local governments are not always achieving ‘good density’, nor are they developing apartment buildings that engender positive outcomes for both residents and the community. Some of the challenges that must be overcome if this is to change include designing apartments that cater to the needs of a diverse population, getting state governments to provide more support for local councils, and engaging earlier and more effectively with local communities. The research findings provide council planners with a better understanding of the challenges faced by residents in new apartment buildings, as well as the difficulties of meeting community expectations and planning ‘good density’, so that future planning policies and urban development can be more suitably informed.

Applying Deep Learning to the Detection of Residential Infill Development and Contributing Factors

Applying Deep Learning to the Detection of Residential Infill Development and Contributing Factors

Development trends in suburban real estate sector

The authors of the research work, based on the analysis of market development trends and key success factors, form a SWOT matrix for out-of-town real estate objects under construction and calculate the evaluation of the matrix factors, which are used to determine the current and desired position of the object of construction in the positioning field. The main research methods are formal-logical, abstract, and empirical. Statistical methods (groupings, averages) and methods of expert evaluations were used to determine the most significant factors of SWOT matrix and to develop perspective directions of development projects' development. In order to improve market positions of out-of-town real estate objects under construction and to transfer their desirable position on the positioning field, the authors elaborate directions of development projects' development. These include the introduction of "green building" and energy-saving technologies, the use of modular construction, BIM technologies and the use of innovative materials. To increase the attractiveness of the objects under construction, development companies are recommended to carry out integrated development of the territories in the construction of cottage settlements. To increase the affordability of built objects, conversion of potential demand into real demand, the authors recommend the active use of mortgage lending system in the construction of residential housing, development and implementation of infill development of individual territories.

Exploring the Urban Form and Compactness: A Case Study of Multan, Pakistan

Sustainable development has become an immense challenge, one further complicated by rapid population growth in developing countries. Therefore, analyzing the existing compactness of urban areas is essential for guiding future urban development. Most of the previous research on urban compactness has been conducted in developed countries, whereas limited research has been conducted on urban compactness in developing countries. This study fills this research gap and contributes to the current body of knowledge by offering empirical evidence of compactness measurement based on the existing urban form using Multan city as its context. Multan is a metropolitan city in the growing phase, so measuring its compactness for the promotion of sustainable development is crucial. For this research study, various indicators are adopted from the literature, such as land cover changes, density, land use, road network, congestion index, walkability index, and shape performance index, in order to evaluate compactness. The above-mentioned indicators were analyzed using ArcMap and ERDAS IMAGINE software. This study concludes that Multan city presently lies between compactness and dispersion. To achieve full compactness, highly dense vertical development with a better public transport network should be encouraged. In addition, the prevailing building regulations should be revised to increase the floor area ratio, and incentives should be devised for developers to promote vertical infill development. Moreover, there is an emerging need to formulate and implement compact city policies. By retaining the compact character of Multan city, sustainable development will be promoted. Ultimately, this research study would be a valuable resource for urban planners, decision-makers, and relevant authorities in proposing future compactness policies for sustainable development. This research can be applied to other cities with similar demographic characteristics, population, area, geographical conditions, and structure to that of Multan.

Urban Growth Modeling and Land-Use/Land-Cover Change Analysis in a Metropolitan Area (Case Study: Tabriz)

During the last three decades, the expansion of the Tabriz Metropolitan Area (TMA) to the surrounding areas has caused the destruction of environmental resources and problems such as disturbing ecological balance, increasing service costs, construction over unsuitable lands, exacerbation of air pollution, and lack of consideration of existing deteriorated textures and previous ongoing trends, reducing the environmental quality of the TMA. The goal of this study was to perform ecological modeling of urban development in the TMA with respect to the preservation of environmental resources, prevention of urban sprawl, and the management of the physical expansion of the TMA in an eco-friendly manner. In this research, to investigate the previous pattern of growth of the TMA, Landsat satellite imagers from 1984 to 2018 were used to discover the non-ecological and sprawl development of the TMA, and artificial neural networks and logistic regression techniques were applied to simulate future development up to 2038. According to information from the Iranian Statistical Center and 34 year of satellite imagery analysis, the population of the TMA increased from 1,007,992 to 1,961,560 during this period. Additionally, urban and rural land area increased from 7220.34 hectares to 27,640.57 hectares. A lack of coordination between population and urban expansion, as well as a decrease of 8513.61 hectares of agricultural and garden lands was inferred from the Holdern model. Detailed Calculations of the Holdern index (sprawl tendency) showed a lack of consideration of urban development capacity with population growth rate, and the Holdern index is equal to 0.6 in Tabriz. For future ecologic development of the TMA, hexagonal blocking of the urbanization probability map was used alongside environmental development policies in the form of using 30 percent of infill development capacities of inefficient land uses to prevent sprawl growth in Tabriz. Additionally, to preserve ecological landscapes, ecological networks in the form of green belts and bows with a length of 91 km were designed that may be effective in preventing the merging of small cities and nearby villages in the Tabriz metropolis.

The Other Side of the Urban Densification ‘Coin’: Impacts on Social Sustainability in Redeveloped Urban Sprawled Communities in United Arab Emirates

Urban sprawl has been a persistent sustainability impediment caused by its associated low urban density that led to heavy reliance on private cars. To overcome this problem, urban densification, as a sustainable planning approach, has been widely advocated. Al Ain, one of the most affected cities by urban sprawl in the United Arab Emirates, has recently adopted an urban densification process through its Al Ain Plan 2030 and started applying it by 2010 in a pioneering redevelopment project in Bida Bin Ammar neighborhood. This research aims at studying the impacts of the applied urban densification measures and tools on social sustainability in this neighborhood. The research adopts a qualitative case study method utilizing field observations as the main source of primary data collection, while the analysis of CAD drawings, census data, land-use plans, and Google Earth maps forms a secondary source of data for this study. Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that urban densification through its two applied measures, the Intensification and the Infill Development, have enhanced social sustainability in Bida Bin Ammar neighborhood but with various degrees of success for each of the social sustainability principle and indicators. While mixed use and accessibility principles have been partially enhanced in the study area, density, mobility, social capital, quality of life, sense of belonging, and safety and security have been weakly enhanced. Accordingly, a proposed set of guidelines have been initiated to inform decision-makers in the city, and maybe in other cities in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf region, to help them revise the applied urban densification process in a way that helps achieve more socially sustainable urban communities.

URBAN CIVIL ACTIVISM IN THE URBAN PLANNING POLICY OF ALMATY CITY

The article discusses the growth of protest moods among the residents of Almaty on the basis of the unresolved problems of infill development, the deterioration of the environment and the comfort of the living environment and related civic activity, the form of protest and the search for ways of communication between activists and government agencies to solve problems.

Alternative Approaches to Urban Regeneration and Infill Planning

In Finland, cities consider infill development as a means for urban regeneration in existing suburbs. However, the preconditions for development may vary: some areas are more attractive for infill development projects than others. Therefore, cities must align their urban regeneration approaches with the specifics of the context.
 This paper builds on the notions that the prevailing growth-dependent urban planning paradigm is not functional in areas demarcated by low growth or stagnation. Planning that seeks to bring value for the localities by appreciating their strengths and non-monetary assets might provide grounds for alternative planning approaches. From these starting points, we explore how Finnish urban planners align their urban regeneration approaches with different contexts. We aim at identifying when the growth-dependent approach is used, whether alternative approaches are deployed, and what are their underlying logics. Our analytical framework originates from organizational learning theory of action inquiry. It explains how urban regeneration visions, strategies and actions are adjusted to low growth contexts. The empirical material consists of three urban regeneration cases in the Finnish City of Turku.
 As a result, three approaches to urban regeneration with different emphases on infill development are depicted and discussed. The growth-dependent approach is used in areas with strategic importance for the City, and possibilities for urban growth. Alternative approaches seek to support local development initiatives or inspire development in areas where it does not yet exist. The contribution of this exploratory paper is to demonstrate that urban planners in Finland deploy alternatives to growth-dependent planning and provide conceptualizations of alternative planning approaches.