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» Idaho Smart Growth Releases a New Report on Quality Infill

February 23, 2010

Idaho Smart Growth and the Urban Land Institute  released findings and recommendations from a newly completed “infill development” study.

The study recommends ten priorities to ensure that new construction in existing neighborhoods wins the support of neighbors and contributes to a healthier, more functional community.

“This working group has produced a toolkit of smart approaches and on-the-ground understanding that will be useful to Idaho leaders as they identify good ideas that have been refined over time in larger cities where urbanization has already advanced, ” said Urban Land Institute Idaho District Council Chairman Bob Taunton.

“People get too focused on density numbers. The goal needs to be great design that creates great places to live, with great outdoor places nearby – great places where you’d want to spend time,” said working group contributor and architect Sherry McKibben, director of the Idaho Urban Research and Design Center.

In 2008, the Urban Land Institute and Idaho Smart Growth completed a study of infill projects in the Boise area to determine if feared consequences, such as increased traffic and decreased property values, were substantiated. While most feared consequences were found unsubstantiated, the partners in that study concluded that a critical next step was to develop policy recommendations promoting quality infill.

Idaho Smart Growth and the Urban Land Institute convened a diverse committee to complete an extensive literature review, hold a series of public workshops, and developing a list of recommendations to encourage quality infill projects that complement existing neighborhoods and are successful developments.  By comparing the experiences of other places with the experiences in Idaho, the committee that was convened identified key steps that Idaho communities can take to encourage infill that will reduce infrastructure demands and revitalize existing neighborhoods while avoiding the negative impacts so often feared.

Download the new report here.