News 5 In Depth: infill offers sustainable option for growth [Video]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — The Pikes Peak Region is growing. El Paso County’s Population is expected to grow to nearly 1 million people (971,444 projected) by 2040.

In our in-depth series on urbanism and growth, News 5 is exploring the ideas and policies that will shape the way our communities look and function in the future.

One idea Colorado Springs is pursuing to help densify the city is through infill. The most recent estimate suggests a combined 4,259 acres of vacant lots exist throughout the city that are suitable for infill development.

To better understand the potential, compare that to the 3,200-acre proposed Amara annexation. The developer’s master plan calculates a maximum of 9,500 dwelling units on a property roughly 1,000 acres smaller.

Developers face extra challenges with infill. Many vacant lots are small and disconnected from each other. Some have an irregular shape. Under previous land use regulations, it might not have been so …