Government should tax development on previously undeveloped
“greenfield” land and offer incentives for redeveloping existing
buildings or sites near city centers, according to architect
Tyler Caine. “Undoubtedly, building on the edges is building
cheaper. The land often goes for a song. Labor is less
expensive. Access to sites is easier and building codes are less
stringent,” Caine wrote on his sustainability blog, Intercon.
“But the cheaper choice for builders can be more expensive for
municipalities.” That’s because such developments, by being less
dense, are less efficient to serve and, by being in previously
undeveloped areas, require new utility lines, roads, fire
stations, etc., Caine noted. “Taxing this kind of sprawling
development may help curb its growth in the country,” he wrote.
“Most importantly of all, there is no need for greenfield
building. We have loads of existing space in close proximity to
transportation and infrastructure.” To a certain extent,
Washington communities already do this by c