Infill Development: Opportunities and Constraints. Dade County, Florida. Case Study

摘要

Dade County, Fla., was one of three metropolitan areas that were analyzed as part of a national study of infill potential. Infill sites are those properties inside the urbanized portion of a metropolitan area that have public services and infrastructure, but have been 'skipped over' in the development process. Also included are sites that were formerly developed but are now vacant because of urban renewal or private demolition. A number of regional characteristics cause Dade County officials to be concerned with infill potential, including the fact that development is physically constrained by the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern boundary and marshes and bogs in the western area. According to the study, about 7,000 to 12,000 acres of infill land with strong development potential exist in Dade County. A randomly selected sample of 148 vacant parcels was analyzed. Data indicate that, based on size indicators, there may be better infill development opportunities in the suburbs than in the central cities of Miami and Miami Beach. Only about 13 percent of the sample was affected by multiple physical constraints such as floodplain and drainage, but over half the sites were within the 100 - year floodplain. About 85 percent of the parcel owners lived or did business in the metropolitan Miami area. Four key motives were found for holding vacant land: investment / appreciation, personal / family use, parking for adjacent or nearby business, and future business expansion. Over half the sites were deemed available for development now or within the next 5 years. An assessment of local conditions affecting marketability of infill sites found that median household incomes for the infill areas and the county were fairly comparable in 1969 ($7,787 versus $7,151); the proportion of black residents was higher in infill areas by about 10 percent; and for 65 percent of the infill sites, the exterior condition of nearby buildings was rated good. Results of an analysis of the comparative costs of developing standard attached townhouse units on infill parcels in the City of Miami, mature suburban areas, and at the urban fringe in West Dade County are also presented. Tables, graphs, and diagrams are included. Appendices give the case study sampling process, sampling methods and data collection procedures, perceptions on infill property owners, cost comparison research methods, and survey instruments. (Author abstract modified).