The parking mandates and subsidies prevalent in American cities stifle development and remove agency from property owners and residents.

On the Strong Towns podcast, John Pattison outlines the organization’s position that parking mandates and subsidies “are probably hobbling your city’s strength and resilience right now.” The 2022 Strong Towns strategic plan includes a priority campaign to end parking mandates and subsidies as one way to make land use more productive and make cities more livable and affordable.
According to Strong Towns, parking mandates raise the cost of construction, increase the need for public investment in infrastructure, and come with opportunity costs like the loss of valuable real estate to parking. “Maybe that’s what’s most insidious about parking mandates: they take away the flexibility and agency that homeowners, developers, business owners, and residents deserve.”
Parking mandates and subsidies are so universally bad that getting rid of them is one of the few one-size-fits-all-communities recommendations we make at Strong Towns.
“This one, reasonable change to our approach will unlock opportunities for more housing, more businesses, more outdoor seating, more parks and other public spaces, better public transportation systems, more pleasant places to walk and bike, and stronger and more financially resilient cities.”
FULL STORY: End the Parking Mandates and Subsidies That Are Hurting Our Cities

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
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