It's not a revelation that suburbia isn't everyone's idea of utopia. Unending tracts of land carved out in swirls of cul-de-sacs and barely landscaped streets, with commutes only the happily masochistic could love just doesn't do it for every new home buyer. And yet, what are buyers to do when they don't care for the alternative of 'well-worn' housing in closer-in, established city areas? The answer may be "in-fill", a term that brings joy to the hearts of city re-developers and can create award-winning fodder for builder trade magazines. In-fill may be loosely defined as the use of older, built-out urban areas or semi-urban areas for replacement by brand new or completely re-furbished housing, using existing utilities and infrastructure.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, in-fill is greatly supported by older cities, which have seen resources and citizens diverted to new suburban developments instead of replenishing their already-developed infrastructures. In contrast to the mega-developers' mass-produced boxes in neat, but endless rows, in-fill product is usually hammered out in smaller numbers of ten to fifty homes. And, to the delight of both environmentalists and city-loving types, commute times are shortened by housing buyers closer, time or distance-wise, to their jobs. A migration back to the cities has now become a trend even for the wealthy sector, who may be bored suburban life, citing the need for increased access to a city's revitalized atmosphere, with its more stimulating shopping, theater, and recreation zones.

While in-fill projects inherently have more restrictions and complications overall than those found in classic suburban production home scenarios, in-fill development also comes with the dilemmas of toxic issues, brown fields in need of greening, and considerable costs to developers braving the challenge. Potential problems can include noise and traffic from nearby commercial sites and issues relating to developer and city fees, to name a few. Complaints created by neighbors of established neighborhoods can range from the perceptions of overburdened use of infrastructures to concerns over developer "white elephants" in terms of design and blend with the older areas. Because approximately 80% of the in-fill sites require the demolition of all or part of the existing structures before new homes can be built, tear-downs and ensuing renovation can create challenges in terms of time constraints and approvals for the in-fill developer.

"Builders considering this type of development must have a team of experts in place from the beginning to help resolve these issues, capable of handling identification and removal of any toxins on the site," warns Debra Bernard of Bernard Marketing Group of Walnut Creek. Bernard has worked with several Bay Area builders helping to coordinate and market their in-fill projects. "Community public relations is particularly important in some cases, where there may be controversy surrounding the newly developed neighborhood due to the conversion from public uses to private residences, " says Bernard.

Architecturally speaking, some in-fill builders are commonly creating loft-type homes with room for owner parking. These revitalized urban dwellings can have large, expansive interiors and create their own slice of city life with an eclectic but electric sophistication not found elsewhere. Other types of in-fill housing may maintain the cozy, traditional designs found in the suburbs, incorporating attached housing with smaller yards, or high-density (10-13 units per acre) cluster housing with its bent towards courtyards and common areas.

Regis Homes of Northern California has answered the challenges posed by in-fill projects in both the Bay Area and Sacramento areas over the past few years. In Sacramento, Regis, together with the Sacramento Redevelopment Housing Agency, cooperated to create "Metro Square", an entire city block of new homes , in the core of the capital city's downtown area. This wildly successful (sold out in 48 hours) project incorporated the "Craftsman" architecture from the surrounding Victorian-style homes. "It blended so well into the neighborhood, with its trademark monolithic Sacramento shades trees, that it's hard to tell what's new and what's not, " according to Jill Hardy, Sacramento sales and marketing manager. The 45 single family homes, at the density of an unusual 18 homes per acre, included 1 and 2-car attached garages. Recipient of countless site design and architectural awards, Regis Homes' Metro Square has become an icon to the in-fill possibilities existing in the heart of Sacramento.

The developer is also currently developing "Humboldt Square", a townhome community consisting of 26 shingled but chic traditional-style units in the heart of San Mateo. Sandwiched between two major conduits for transportation to and from downtown San Mateo, these 2 and 3 bedroom homes are a cutting edge example of urban renewal. With help and encouragement of the San Mateo Redevelopment Agency, Regis Homes was able to replace a group of older, single family homes with the new project, providing a much needed face lift to the neighborhood, just blocks from a new Cal Train station. It's a location both Bay Area commuters and downtown San Mateo professionals can appreciate, now that the San Jose-San Francisco commuter corridor is being enhanced with comprehensive Peninsula rail service. It is also a part of an intense improvement and upscaling to the entire surrounding area, where fancy retailers are cropping up and the future is looking bright.

Among the challenges facing the developer was the design of denser living spaces that could still offer a livable, comfortable lifestyle to its residents. "Buyers are excited about the design," says Regis Homes' Vice President Todd Regonini. "We were able to find an architectural style that blends with the surrounding area, and offer homes with attached garages and some side and backyard living space as well. With wide, inviting front porches along the street frontages, buyers saw a sense of 'neighborhood' yet an integration into the urban spaces." Selling at a brisk pace in the high $300'000's, Humboldt Square answers the call for both urban redevelopment and buyer demand for convenient, yet elegant living.

Although urban sprawl has given way to suburban sprawl, some of us, after all, may find ourselves yearning once again for convenience, excitement, and city life, with all its possibilities. Blending new construction into older neighborhoods takes courage, determination and cooperation on the parts of builders, city planners, and neighboring residents. In the end, however, everyone wins. City "streetscapes" may look fresher and more sophisticated, property values can increase, creating more pride of ownership in neighboring burgs, and those of us with the "itch" for city living may find a home after all.

Published: July 2, 1999

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A veteran of the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1986, Dena Kouremetis first joined Realty Times as a new homes writer in 1998. Since then, she has authored four books, written consumer columns on new homes issues for websites and newspapers all across the country, contributed to builder trade magazines, appeared as a guest expert on several radio shows and even created a ten-chapter podcast for LendingTree.com’s homebuilder website, iNest.com, now available on iTunes, entitled Uncharted Waters; Navigating the Purchase of a New Production Home. Kouremetis recently joined her local Folsom, CA Coldwell Banker office as a broker associate while continuing to write for the real estate industry. For the past three years, she has been training real estate agents for both the resale and new homes industries, putting her experience, research expertise and gift of expression to work to help others entering the business.