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Last revised July 24, 2014 <br />Encourage redevelopment and infill development to meet the region's housing need <br />Healthy, thriving regions need both a strong periphery and a strong core. Development on undeveloped <br />or agricultural land—greenfield development —traditionally costs developers or builders less because <br />the costs of demolition or pollution remediation are minimal and land prices are lower. However, <br />development on greenfields often has higher long-term public costs because it requires extending <br />regional infrastructure to new areas. On the other hand, infill development and redevelopment require <br />less new regional infrastructure but can be more challenging for developers, both in the direct costs of <br />demolition and pollution remediation as well as the increased complexity of integrating projects into <br />existing neighborhoods. Over the long-term, proportionately more infill development and redevelopment <br />compared to greenfield development will result in a denser, more compact region that efficiently utilizes <br />existing infrastructure and reduces travel distances. The Council has a rich history of funding projects <br />that improve the environmental condition of brownfield sites to promote their redevelopment, creating <br />economic opportunity, expanding housing choices, and growing the local tax base. <br />Council role: <br />• Work with cities and other regional partners to explore the need for new and additional tools to <br />support and finance redevelopment. <br />• Use its role and authorities to streamline redevelopment processes and remove barriers to <br />economically feasible development, thereby helping to equalize the playing field between <br />redevelopment, infill development, and greenfield development sites. <br />• Provide grants to support brownfield and infill site redevelopment that can lead to a full range of <br />housing choices. <br />Local role <br />• Identify key brownfield and infill sites and provide a stable, predictable local regulatory process <br />to attract developer interest. <br />2040 HOUSING POLICY PLAN I METROPOLITAN COUNCIL <br />DRAFT RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Part II: Outcomes (Prosperity) I Page 27 <br />