Infill Development and its Attendant Consequences on Neighbourhood Property Value: Evidence from Gwarinpa, Abuja, Nigeria
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Date
2020-06-30
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Transstellar Journal Publications
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of infill developments, which involve developing vacant or under-used parcels within
existing urban areas that are largely developed, on local housing prices. Infill developments are encouraged because it
helps in curbing urban sprawl and because the newer and more expensive buildings, which are constructed in place of old
buildings or vacant sites, increase the city's tax base. However, infill developments may impose externality effects on
nearby properties and thereby affect their values. It is not uncommon for existing residents to resist new developments
within their neighbourhood for reasons such as visual pollution, increased traffic noise, disruption to local traffic
patterns, or loss of a neighbourhood’s character. Nevertheless, a new development tends to have a positive net effect,
since the new building, by virtue that it is cleaner and more attractively designed, adds to the overall appeal of the
neighbourhood. This, in turn, attracts more desirable inhabitants, such as higher income occupants or homeowners, to
live in the area. The study made use of questionnaires for data collection. A total of 106 questionnaires were distributed,
50 to estate surveyors and values and 56 to the residents of the housing units. The percentage of the retrieval rate is 68 %
and 70 % respectively from the ESVs and the residents, which was used for the analysis. The study deployed descriptive
statistics such as frequency distribution table, maximum, minimum, mean, standard deviation, mean weighted score
(MWS), relative importance index (RII), and inferential statistics of t-test for the analysis. The findings showed that infill
development has both positive and negative impacts on the study area. Many of the respondents agreed that the most
significant positive impact of infill development in the area is that it has helped in increasing level of patronage and
reduction in cost and travel time in accessing goods and services within the area, as well as the creation of employment
opportunities for residents, amongst other positive impacts. Concerning the negative externalities of infill development on
the area, those with a strong impact within the neighbourhood include pressure on existing facilities and amenities,
traffic congestions and inadequate parking space around the community. On the relationship between the effects of infill
development on the adjoining property value, the result of the t-statistics showed that all the effects exhibit positive and
significant (p-values <0.05) relationship with the property value in the area. However, the infill development in Gwarinpa
influences the property values at varying degrees.
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Keywords
Infill development, Property value, Consequences, Gwarinpa