The costs of infill versus greenfield development : a review of recent literature.

This paper reviews recent literature related to assessments of the total community costs of developing infill versus greenfield areas. These cost comparisons include: essential infrastructure such as roads, transport, water and sewerage; other infrastructure such as new schools versus under-utilised schools; community services, such as police and health; public transport; and social costs such as comparisons of environmental conditions and air quality. Given the unique mix of infill and greenfield development in Sydney, we undertake this literature review with specific reference to Sydney as an Australian case study. We found that while there are many comparisons of specific costs such as transport infrastructure, there are few studies that have attempted to quantify all the costs in a structured and comparable manner. The trend to sprawl is not generally seen in the older developed nations, such as those in Europe, to the extent that it occurs in rapidly growing wealthy western countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. Overall, the literature tends to favour infill redevelopment over greenfield development, because of lower costs, demand for housing close to the CBD, and reduced contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E214666.