Cities need to reduce the obstacles to land assembly

Cities need to reduce the obstacles to land assembly and acquisition in urban neighborhoods, according to a March forum of the Urban Land Institute. High land costs, limited supply, difficult site assembly requirements, long chains of title, and the resistance of some property owners to selling except at high prices are reportedly getting in the way of infill development. Because of the obstacles, “much potentially usable land in close- in areas is bypassed because it is cheaper and easier to build farther out,” said Maureen McAvey, ULI senior resident fellow for urban development. John Kromer, senior consultant at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government, suggested that local governments use methods described in a Brookings Institution study, “Seizing City Assets: Ten Steps to Urban Land Reform.” The 2002 study, by Paul C. Brophy and Jennifer S. Vey, can be found at Brookings’ Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy at www.brookings.edu.