Vancouver — Appendix J: West End RM Design Guidelines for Infill Housing

The wider laneways that are typical of the West End present a unique opportunity to develop ground-oriented family housing that will increase the diversity and availability of rental homes in the community while still maintaining integral right of way and utility functions. 

In line with the West End Community Plan, infill development will be encouraged on suitable sites to deliver residential buildings on the lanes. The process of infilling existing under-utilized frontages to the lane with additional buildings requires sensitive and creative design, with a focus not only on creating neighbourly relationships with adjacent development but also on the manner in which lanes are treated and their resultant public realm character. It is important that lanes are treated properly based on their intended role within the neighbourhood’s public realm as smaller and more intimate in scale pedestrian routes with less traffic, while at the same time ensuring that they still support the necessary service functions.

Saskatoon — Neighbourhood Level Infill Development Strategy

The Neighbourhood Level Infill Development Strategy addresses infill development for individual residential lots in established neighbourhoods throughout the City of Saskatoon, including the Pre- and Post-War Neighbourhoods identified in Section 1.1.5 Study Area.

The study recommends design qualities, guidelines and regulations to ensure new infill development complements the character of established neighbourhoods. Consideration is given to development standards such as height, massing, setbacks and site coverage; parking provisions; architectural guidelines; site servicing; and design guidelines specific to garage and garden suites.

Vancouver — Livable Lanes: A Study of Laneway Infill Housing in Vancouver and Other Growing B.C. Communities

The term “laneway housing” or “carriage housing” refers to a detached form of infill housing that is ancillary to a principal dwelling and typically located in a rear yard and oriented towards the lane.

This research presents single-lot, laneway, infill housing as a key part of an overall residential intensification strategy that Canadian municipalities can use to help meet critical housing needs while meeting a range of other key sustainability objectives. Laneway infill housing can occur incrementally without requiring redevelopment or parcel assembly, which can be onerous in time and expense.

With a focus on Vancouver, this research establishes opportunities for expanding laneway housing and identifies a number of key barriers limiting or preventing its adoption. The results of the research are a set of specific recommendations and strategies that municipalities can use to overcome barriers to expanding this form of housing in residential neighbourhoods.

Portland — The Infill Design Toolkit: Medium-Density Residential Development

This guide is intended to serve as a resource for community members—builders, designers, neighbors and others—all who are involved in designing, building, or participating in dialogue about the new development that continues to shape the form of Portland’s neighborhoods. Its focus is on new “infill” development in established neighborhood areas, particularly where continuation of positive aspects of existing character is a community priority. Infill development can take place as construction on vacant land or as redevelopment that replaces pre-existing buildings.

Housing Prototypes — Solutions for Achieving Density and Neighborhood-friendly Design on Small Infill Sites

The housing prototypes of this section are intended to serve as a problem-solving tool to help improve the design of medium-density infill housing projects, particularly in the R2 and R1 multidwelling zones. The prototypes highlight medium-density housing types and configurations that are suitable for common infill situations, meet City regulations and design objectives, and are feasible from a market perspective. They illustrate solutions for common infill design challenges such as balancing parking needs with pedestrian-friendly design and providing usable open space while achieving density goals. They are also intended to help broaden the range of housing types being built in Portland by presenting innovative configurations, with a particular focus on arrangements conducive to ownership housing. The prototypes continue characteristic neighborhood street frontage patterns by featuring house-like building volumes along street fronts and by providing opportunities for landscaping.

Building and Urban Development in Norway

This publication has been prepared in connection with the 48th IFHP World Congress in Oslo 2004. Its purpose is to provide a general impression of the planning and building situation in Norway, and describe some of the important challenges facing us in the first years of the 21st century. In it, we present descriptions and analysis of issues confronting local and central authorities, property developers and the building industry, as well as the planning community and the public in general.

The Effects of Portland’s Urban Growth Boundary on Urban Development Patterns and Commuting

This research investigates the effects of Portland’s urban growth boundary (UGB) on urban development patterns and mobility. Three different methods are adopted for evaluating Portland’s UGB: intermetropolitan comparisons; comparisons inside and outside the UGB; and, statistical analyses utilising regression models. Intermetropolitan comparisons do not support the conclusion that Portland’s UGB has been effective in slowing down suburbanisation, enhancing infill development and reducing auto use. A significant level of spillover from the counties in Oregon to Clark County of Washington took place during the 1990s, indicating that the UGB diverted population growth into Clark County. Results from the statistical analyses also support the above findings. The UGB dummy variable was not significant during the 1980s and 1990s, indicating that the UGB had little impact on the location of new housing construction during the 1980s and 1990s. Unlike the UGB, the Clark County dummy variable is significant for both models, supporting the spillover effects of the UGB.

Harvard Patterns: An Analysis of the Allston/Cambridge Campuses

As Harvard faces a period of great physical growth and change, it is particularly important for its planners and designers to work from a strong basis of understanding of the varied patterns that make up the University’s existing fabric. This report comprises an initial effort by Harvard Planning and Real Estate (HPRE) to document and analyze those patterns. It is intended as a working document for the many members of the University community who share responsibility for decisions concerning the future of the unique and rich physical setting that is the Harvard campus.