Cities are trying new ways to encourage supermarket construction in underserved neighborhoods by relaxing zoning requirements for parking spaces, says Sarah Goodyear.
"The New York Times mentioned that one of the strategies New York City is using to attract more supermarkets into food deserts is to change the city's zoning laws that would "free smaller supermarkets from having to supply parking spaces." Reducing or eliminating parking minimums for new development is good urbanism. But if it can help provide affordable, accessible, and nutritious food to low-income residents of the District -- which is already a District goal -- the planning commission has one more very good reason to wean us off of cars."
Comments
Parking & Grocery Stores
While the Times article (interestingly in the Business section - which should say something right there - that this is as much about economics as it is social equity and the urban environment) focuses on 'low income communities', personally I think this applies to my own affluent community of Palo Alto, CA. If you heard the obsession with parking at our local Planning Commission and community planning meetings, you'd know why.
BTW, I just LOVE the Streetsblog-Flickr photo of the 'grandma' (my words) pushing the 2-wheeled (well, actually 4) grocery cart in the urban streetscape. Brings back fond memories of my own Grandma in Queens, NY. (though I don't think they had added the 2 small front wheels to shopping carts at that time - ah, technology!).
Irvin Dawid, Palo Alto, CA