STUDIO PERANCANGAN ARSITEKTUR 3

Urban Infill
YOHANES PIETER PEDOR PARERA S.T., M. ARS.
 Definition

Infill is the urban planning term for the

rededication of land in an urban environment,
usually open-space, to new construction. Infill also
applies within an urban polity to construction on
any undeveloped land that is not on the urban
margin. The slightly broader term “land-recycling"
is sometimes used instead. Infill has been
promoted as an economical use of existing
infrastructure and a remedy for urban sprawl. Its
detractors view it as overloading urban services,
including increased traffic congestion and
pollution, and decreasing urban green-space.

Urban infill, Lancaster - geograph.org.uk

In the urban planning and development industries, infill has been defined as the
use of land within a built-up area for further construction, especially as part
Urban Infill
of a community redevelopment or growth management program or as part of
smart growth.

It focuses on the reuse and

repositioning of obsolete or
underutilized buildings and sites.
This type of development is essential
to renewing blighted neighbourhoods
and knitting them back together with
more prosperous communities.
Redevelopment or land recycling is
development that occurs on
previously developed land. Infill
buildings are constructed on vacant
or underutilized property or between
existing buildings.
Although urban infill is an appealing tool for community redevelopment and growth Challenges
management, it is often far more costly for developers to develop land within the city
than it is to develop on the periphery, in suburban greenfield land. Costs for
developers include acquiring land, removing existing structures, and testing for and
cleaning up any environmental contamination.

Scholars have argued that infill development

is more financially feasible for development
when it occurs on a large plot of land (several
acres). Large scale development benefits from
what economists call economies of scale, and
reduces the surrounding negative influences
of neighborhood blight, crime, or poor
schools. However, large scale infill
development is often difficult in a blighted
neighborhood for several reasons. These
include the difficulties in acquiring land and
in gaining community support.

Little Chalfont, Lodge Lane: a greenfield site located in the

south east of England.
 Challenges

Developers also meet with high social goal

barriers in which the local officials and
residents are not interested in the same type
of development. Although citizen involvement
has been found to facilitate the development
of brownfield land, residents in blighted
neighborhoods often want to convert vacant
lots to parks or recreational facilities,
whereas external actors seek to build
apartment complexes, commercial shopping
centers, or industrial sites.

Example of brownfield land at a disused gasworks site after excavation, with

soil contamination from removed underground storage tanks.
Infill housing is the insertion of additional housing units into an already Infill Housing
approved subdivison or neighborhood. These can be provided as
additional units built on the same lot, by dividing existing homes into
multiple units, or by creating new residential lots by further subdivision or
lot line adjustments. Units may also be built on vacant lots.

Infill residential development does not require the

subdivision of greenfield land, natural areas, or prime
agricultural land, although it usually reduces green
space. In some cases of residential infill, existing
infrastructure may need expansion in order to adequately
provide utilities and other services. Typical are increased
electrical and water usage, additional sewage, need for
increased traffic control, and increased fire damage
potential.

As with any new construction, structures built as infill

may clash architecturally with older, existing buildings.

Residential area in Brooklyn about a century after it was

developed
 Examples of Urban Infill
There’s a shift happening in the built environment right now. Suburban land is becoming
increasingly scarce, and rural land is being pushed to inaccessible distances. Meanwhile,
it’s more attractive than ever to live and work in the city, and less desirable to be stuck in
traffic. While these challenges can be difficult to confront, they are also motivating us as
a society to produce thoughtful solutions in urban settings. These constraints are
producing an architectural paradigm shift.
 5 Factors of Urban Infill
One of the most successful solutions that we’re seeing in
the built environment is urban infill. It’s a broad term
with many applications and today’s post takes a crack at
defining them as well as calling out some exemplary
projects. Here are our top 5 required factors of urban
infill:
1. It increases the density of the built environment.
2. It builds and fosters community.
3. It focuses on the reuse and re-positioning of obsolete or
underutilized buildings and sites.
4. It activates neighborhoods, making them more useful and
livelier for longer periods of the day and night.
5. It uses what is already there to its advantage, as opposed to
starting with a blank canvas
These factors can be achieved in a variety of ways. The infill can be added to an existing structure, it can
become a new layer over the old, it can permeate the voids of an irregular site, or it can simply fill an
abandoned lot. Often times, this infill employs mixed-use and multi-functional purpose to a site or building,
promoting different uses at different times. The main point being: urban infill is synergistic; it has a greater
affect on the built environment than the sum of its parts
As architects and builders, we think the possibilities of urban infill are
exhilarating. As humans and conscientious members of society, we think
SEATTLE
urban infill offers an intelligent response to a multitude of environmental Kolstrand Building by
and societal factors. The projects below are excellent built examples of
urban infill. Be sure to let us know of any we’ve missed. Graham Baba Architects

An extraordinary example of
urban infill, the design
involves a complete
renovation to the guts of an
existing brick building and
the insertion of an additional
floor on top. By introducing
two restaurants, a coffee
shop, and offices to the
neighborhood, the
Kohlstrand urban infill fires
on all cylinders.
AGNES LOFTS
by Weinstein AIU and
developed by Dunn + Hobbes
The Agnes Lofts urban infill is
one of the reasons Seattle’s Pike-
Pine corridor is a destination
neighborhood.
Nestled in between its older,
industrial neighbors, the
building brings 24 double-
height residential lofts with
ground floor (and sub - floor)
commercial spaces to the
Capitol Hill neighborhood

The crisp glass box design

glows at night and leverages
the potential of an active
intersection in Seattle’s most
vibrant neighborhood
 The Park Modern by BUILD LLC

Replacing a couple of dark and derelict buildings, the Park

Modern urban infill injects a diversity of uses to Seattle’s
North-Ave neighborhood. Ten condominiums, two townhomes,
a café, a salon, and an architecture firm extend the pedestrian
zone of Seattle’s U-District, preemptively filling in the blanks
between two future light rail stations, and re-energizing a once
gloomy part of town. Successful urban infill also increases the
safety of cities by placing more eyes on the street, echoing the
words of Jane Jacobs.
PORTLAND 2281 NW Glisan by Allied Works
Our neighbor to the south may
not be known for being a
hyper-dense urban metropolis,
but Portland has maintained a
thoughtful and paced trajectory
of urban density appropriate
for a city of its scale. Each of
the projects listed contribute to
the authentic values of
urbanism, executed by firms
doing it right.
North Park Lofts by Sienna Architecture
SAN FRANCISCO
Known for its density and highly constraining topography,
San Francisco has its fair share of inspiring infill projects
throughout the city. And with this unique set of contextual
challenges, these buildings possess a dynamic quality that is
true to place

1234 Howard Street by Stanley Saitowitz

PS House by IwamotoScott
Chattanooga Street Duplex by Zack | de Vito
NYC + BROOKLYN It hardly needs mentioning, but New York City is different.
It’s hyper-dense, super-urban, heavily-layered, and every
project there could qualify as urban infill. These are just an
iceberg’s tip of some good examples.

The Porter House by SHoP Architects

Flavor Paper HQ by Skylab