Environmental Benefits

By reducing sprawling development in the Okanagan’s rural environments, infill development preserves important land to maintain scenic landscapes, agriculture as an economic mainstay, and natural and environmental assets. Additionally, infill development creates walkable communities, reducing the reliance on the automobile as a means of transportation. This improves the air quality and reduces greenhouse gas emissions because more compact development can minimize trip generation and reduce driving.

 

Economic Benefits

Infill development encourages a more efficient investment in infrastructure because it encourages growth in designated growth areas where there is existing infrastructure already in place. Additionally, residential infill development can expand homeownership, mixed-use development, and increase a community’s tax base. Economic infill development traditionally focuses on such things as job generation, the provision of affordable housing, and the creation of retail centers. Tax base expansion focuses primarily on maintaining and enhancing real estate values within the municipality.

 

Historic Preservation Benefits

Historic Preservation can be implemented as a form of infill development to provide usable and attractive buildings on existing developed land. Adaptive reuse of historically important buildings and sites can offer economic development opportunities and cultivate the growth of heritage tourism.