Hey, Davy: Eco-districts are medium-to-large-scale extensions of a city, usually built on some big swath of land (airport, former industrial area, former military barracks), with the most built examples in Northern/Western Europe. They contain a mix of uses and are characterized by a gentle-to-medium density, often served by transit, and espouses ecological/sustainability principles both in urban design (i.e. streets/public spaces) and building design. They are a product of deindustrialization + local/regional governments being active in large-scale planning & housing production. For reference, check out Bo01 in Malmo, and the Ile de Nantes Quartier Republique, or Bottiere Chenaie, in Nantes.
Infill development, in the context of housing or anything else, simply refers to where the development is happening. If it's happening within an already developed/urbanized area (i.e. "filling in"), it's infill. If it's happening outside the fringe, it's "greenfield." The line between the two can be subjective at times.
So, I've basically just given you the definitions of "eco-district" and "infill" -- it isn't so easy to give a clear definition of [those words + housing]. Usually eco-districts and infill are considered separate things (though I suppose an eco-district can be built on a very large infill site, and you could certainly build infill in an existing eco-district). In eco-districts, housing is usually of the single-stair type, with a mix between mid-rise apartment blocks and maybe some townhouses.
Meanwhile, infill housing is just any housing in an infill context. It's tough to build infill housing with our current ban on single-stair buildings over 3 stories because of the leasable space taken up by the second stairwell and the hallway, and the added construction costs. That's the context in which the term "infill housing" mostly comes up these days. Thank you for your interest & feel free to ask any more questions!
Might you briefly define eco-district housing and in-fill housing, and highlight 1-2 differences or similarities?
Hey, Davy: Eco-districts are medium-to-large-scale extensions of a city, usually built on some big swath of land (airport, former industrial area, former military barracks), with the most built examples in Northern/Western Europe. They contain a mix of uses and are characterized by a gentle-to-medium density, often served by transit, and espouses ecological/sustainability principles both in urban design (i.e. streets/public spaces) and building design. They are a product of deindustrialization + local/regional governments being active in large-scale planning & housing production. For reference, check out Bo01 in Malmo, and the Ile de Nantes Quartier Republique, or Bottiere Chenaie, in Nantes.
Infill development, in the context of housing or anything else, simply refers to where the development is happening. If it's happening within an already developed/urbanized area (i.e. "filling in"), it's infill. If it's happening outside the fringe, it's "greenfield." The line between the two can be subjective at times.
So, I've basically just given you the definitions of "eco-district" and "infill" -- it isn't so easy to give a clear definition of [those words + housing]. Usually eco-districts and infill are considered separate things (though I suppose an eco-district can be built on a very large infill site, and you could certainly build infill in an existing eco-district). In eco-districts, housing is usually of the single-stair type, with a mix between mid-rise apartment blocks and maybe some townhouses.
Meanwhile, infill housing is just any housing in an infill context. It's tough to build infill housing with our current ban on single-stair buildings over 3 stories because of the leasable space taken up by the second stairwell and the hallway, and the added construction costs. That's the context in which the term "infill housing" mostly comes up these days. Thank you for your interest & feel free to ask any more questions!
Very helpful, thank you! I appreciate the engagement.