Adopt development/design standards and programs that facilitate infill, redevelopment, and adaptable buildings.

Adopt development/design standards and programs that facilitate infill, redevelopment, and adaptable buildings.

Best Practice of this action

Rating Guideline

Adopt design standards that address the downtown core and encourage compatible infill development, or
Adopt a waiver to parking standards for on-street & shared parking facilities, or
Repurpose vacant/underutilized downtown sites as green space, event space, play areas, outdoor seating and eating, transport/information areas, EV charging, and/or make-ready infrastructure.
Report infill incentives under BPA 7.4.
Report brownfield projects under BPA 25.5.

Allow small houses (~500 sq.ft.) under CUP on non-conforming vacant city lots, or
Adopt standards that facilitate the evolution of strip/large format commercial areas into more livable/walkable neighborhoods with a mix of land use and including gathering places.
Report adaptive reuse studies and codes under BPA 5.1.
Report large-building reuse under BPA 5.3.

Limit annexations or infrastructure extensions until infill and redevelopment goals are met, or
Encourage building, mall and parking ramp design such that structures can be adapted for different future uses.
Report annexation studies and urban growth boundaries under BPA 10.2.

Resources

Assessment:

Infill Score is an online self-assessment tool for cities to (1) gauge the degree to which city policies and strategies facilitate development of vacant land, and (2) learn about 30 strategies and policies that can accelerate infill, redevelopment and community revitalization.

Design:

“Fill the gap” programs for vacant and underutilized downtown (mostly commercial) buildings tend to have these simple/cheap elements: (1) maintain a current and public inventory of ‘opportunity sites’; (2) coordinate with local and county economic development staff and local lenders; (3) install temporary/semi-permanent uses such as green space (flowers, vegetables gardens), event space (farmer’s market, arts and crafts market, art exhibit space), play area (with or without a public restroom); outdoor seating and eating (benches, food truck location, beer garden), transport/information area (bike parking, kiosks, mid-block alley connection).
Articles, events, thoughts and resources on Sprawl Repair - guidance for transforming fragmented, isolated and car-dependent development into complete communities.
Have an empty mall? See the Mall Retrofit plan for small, efficient steps, creating cheap space for incubating new businesses and artisan uses, as well as providing affordable student housing.
Designing structures that can be adapted for different future uses is an art of the past. For example, when parking ramps first emerged they were designed so they could be turned into warehouses and offices by having flat floors and high ceilings.
See EV resources at Drive Electric Minnesota.

Policies & Codes:

The ULI-MN (Re)Development Ready Guide for cities outlines development policies and practices (including brownfield remediation) to attract private investment, grow jobs, support a full range of housing choices, and build tax base for the well-being of the city.
See tips on how to encourage infill development from the Sustainable Development Code.
Summary of Best Practices for Electric Vehicle Ordinances (Drive Electric MN, 2019)

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