Comment on J. Terrence Farris's “the barriers to using urban infill development to achieve smart growth”

Revitalizing vacant urban land with residential and commercial refill should not be neglected because it can be more difficult than suburban development. Barriers exist, but they can be overcome. Strong markets for an urban alternative to large‐lot suburban living are developing in many cities. Compared with similar activity in the suburbs, central‐city residential construction increased dramatically in the 1990s. While America's growth in the next 20 years will require housing of all sorts, urban infill needs to be part of a regional smart growth strategy.