Quality Infill: Recommendations and Tools
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Quality Infill RRRecommendationsRecommendations and ToolToolssss Produced by Idaho Smart Growth Urban Land InstituteInstitute,, Idaho District Council Mixed housing neighborhood, vacant land, Hailey Produced by Idaho Smart Growth Facilitation and writing: Elaine Clegg Research assistance: Kendelle Vogt Photos: Idaho Smart Growth In cooperation with Mixed use, former gas station site, Boise Urban Land Institute, Idaho District Council Urban Land Institute, Idaho District Council PO Box 8463 Boise, ID 83707 http://idaho.uli.org Idaho Smart Growth 910 Main St, Suite 314 Boise, ID 83702 208-333-8066 http://www.idahosmartgrowth.org Office, former parking garage site, Boise Thank you City of Boise Idaho SmSmartart Growth Members for your support Published January 2010 Infill incorporating Cover Photo: Mixed use retail/commercial/ historic hotel, new housing, vacant land, Boise public realm, McCall Table of Contents Quality Infill Recommendations and Tools ................................................................................... ................................ ....................................... 111 IntroductionIntroduction................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ............................. 111 Why Infill?Infill?................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ................................. 111 ConsequConsequencesences of Infill ................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ...................................................................................... ......... 333 Barriers to InfillInfill................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ................... 555 Recommendations for Quality Infill ................................................................................... ................................ .................................................................................... ....... 888 Develop Guiding Principles supporting Infill; provide a policy basis for infill strategiesstrategies.......................... 9 1. Reform Zoning and Regulations.Regulations.................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ........................... 999 2. Make Infill CompatibleCompatible................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ................................................................................... ...... 999 3. CreaCreatete Priority Infill AreasAreas....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ......................................... 101010 4. Educate about Infill. ................................................................................... ................................ ................................................................................................ ................................................................................... ...... 101010 5. Employ Design Guidelines.Guidelines.................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ....................................... 101010 6. Require Collaborative Methods.Methods.................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ........................... 101010 7. Streamline Infill Processes. ................................................................................... ................................ ................................................................................................ ..................................... 101010 8. Improve Transportation CChoicehoicehoicessss................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ......................... 111111 999.9. Enhance the Public RealmRealm....................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ....................................... 111111 10. Prepare Sites for InfillInfill................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................ ............................................................................... ......111111 Appendix A Tools for Quality Infill Recommendations ...................................................................................... 121212 GuGuGuiGu iiidebooksdebooks and Toolboxes that AAddressddress Infill Generally ................................................................................... ............................. 121212 Tools to Implement Specific RecommendationsRecommendations................................................................................................................... .................................................................................. ...............131313 Appendix B Committee MembMemberer Goals ................................................................................................................................................................. ...252525 Appendix C Workshop Results ............................................................................................................................................................................ ............ 262626 Appendix D Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................... 292929 Acknowledgements To develop this report, Idaho Smart Growth, in partnership with the Urban Land Institute, Idaho District Council, convened a committee to examine the literature on infill. The Quality Infill Committee is composed of a diverse set of partners including developers, planners and neighborhood advocates. Quality Infill Committee Members: Tom Barry City of Meridian – Public Works Director Teri Bath Eagle Chamber of Commerce – President Clay Carley Downtown Boise Association – Developer/Building Manager, ULI member Bruce Chatterton City of Boise – Planning and Development Services Director, ULI member Elaine Clegg Idaho Smart Growth, Project Sponsor – Special Projects Manager Doug Cooper McKibben + Cooper Architects – Architect, Planning & Zoning Commissioner Fred Fritchman Southeast Neighborhood Association – SENA Board Member Susan Mason ULI Idaho District Council, Project Sponsor – Executive Committee Member Molly O'Leary North End Neighborhood Association – NENA Board member Jay Story VP Development LLC – Developer/Real Estate, ULI member Pam Sheldon Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC) – Planning Director Jenah Thornborrow City of Garden City – Planning and Zoning Administrator David Turnbull Brighton Corporation – Developer, Building Manager Mindy Wallace Ada County Highway District (ACHD) – Planning Review Supervisor We thank the committee members for their time and contributions. Quality Infill Recommendations and Tools Page i Introduction Infill is new development or redevelopment of vacant or underutilized land within existing developed areas.1 Infill development is one strategy for revitalizing declining city and suburban cores and town centers and for creating the type of community patterns needed to support transit and neighborhood services. Infill can promote efficient use of existing infrastructure and provide an alternative to consuming more of our farmland and open spaces. If done well, infill can help a region meet important goals to create vibrant, healthy communities, preserve air quality, reduce the miles we need to travel in our cars, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote economic vitality. Infill can be met with skepticism or opposition from existing neighbors who fear the changes it will bring to their neighborhoods. Poorly executed, it can have negative