Legal Definitions - development

Development legally refers to any human-made change or alteration to real estate, whether it is currently improved or unimproved. This encompasses activities that transform property, often changing undeveloped land into developed property.

In legal terms, development refers to any significant human-made alteration or improvement to land, whether it is currently undeveloped or already contains structures. This encompasses a wide range of activities that change the physical characteristics, use, or value of real estate.

• Residential Subdivision: A construction company purchases a large, previously untouched parcel of farmland on the outskirts of a city. They then proceed to clear the land, grade it, install water and sewer lines, pave new roads, and construct dozens of single-family homes.

  Explanation: This is a clear example of development because it involves extensive human-made changes to unimproved real estate, transforming it from agricultural land into a residential community with new infrastructure and buildings.

• Urban Redevelopment Project: An older, underutilized industrial complex in a city center is acquired by a developer. The existing factory buildings are demolished, and the site is then prepared for the construction of a new multi-story apartment building with ground-floor retail units and an underground parking garage.

  Explanation: This illustrates development as it involves significant alterations to already improved real estate. The demolition and subsequent construction fundamentally change the physical characteristics and intended use of the property.

• Infrastructure Expansion: A state transportation department undertakes a project to widen an existing two-lane highway into a four-lane expressway. This involves excavating new roadbeds, laying asphalt, constructing overpasses, and installing new drainage systems along a several-mile stretch of land.

  Explanation: This activity constitutes development because it involves substantial human-created changes to real estate (the land alongside and beneath the highway) to improve infrastructure, altering its physical form and capacity.