Tulsa Struggles to Balance Development and Parking

Accompanied by images of a partially demolished building, P.J. Lassek reports on Tulsa's conflict between encouraging development and providing parking amenities.

1 minute read

April 3, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By jerinbrent


As the Tulsa skyline takes another hit, the city council is considering a moratorium on creating surface parking lots. Newly elected councilor and downtown business owner, Blake Ewing, describes his motivation for introducing a moratorium on the demolition of existing buildings for surface parking:

"When you look at downtown, it has been stated over and over again that the surface parking lots are breaking up the flow," he said.

While the City of Tulsa embarks on a downtown parking master plan, Ewing hopes to employ a moratorium to prevent building owners from pre-empting any new parking policies as they come down the pike.

With an urbanist Councilor, a newly adopted comprehensive plan, and a new planning director, Tulsa may be poised to reverse an overzealous trend in parking development. City Planning Director, Dawn Warrick, concurs that preserving existing buildings should be a priority and that a strategy for developing appropriate parking solutions should be employed as soon as possible. Ewing points out the price of inaction over the decades:

"Compare Tulsa's skyline from 1960 and now. We had a better skyline then, and that's not OK."

Thanks to Jessica Brent

Thursday, March 29, 2012 in Tulsa World

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight