A new paper from WRI, ECOnorthwest, and Pew finds that homes built near jobs, stores, and transit cost less to serve and pay back faster than homes built at the edge of town. Across 10 states, the study says up-front infrastructure costs are about $21,000 lower per home, ongoing maintenance is about 50% lower, and property tax revenue per acre is 13% higher in established areas.
My read is simple. If a city wants more housing and a healthier balance sheet, it should stop forcing growth to the fringe. The fiscal case and the housing case point to the same place: build more homes where the roads, utilities, and transit are already there.
The research belongs to Pew Charitable Trusts; the read here is mine.