The Texas capital’s new parking law signals a shift in thinking about the relationship between land use, transportation, and housing affordability.
Parking reform’s steady march may have reached a tipping point as Austin became the latest city—and one of the largest—to remove parking requirements citywide. As Kea Wilson writes in Streetsblog, the decision acknowledges parking’s role in perpetuating sprawl and driving up housing costs and is part of the city’s effort to stimulate enough housing production to accommodate its rapidly growing population.
Wilson notes that “Eliminating parking minimums alone, of course, won’t erase car dependency in Austin — and it may not dramatically slow the pace at which developers are building car storage.” But promoting denser development with less parking and more access to transit could increase affordability and help the city reach its goal to get half of the population commuting by transit or other non-car modes within the next two decades.
Read more about this hot topic at the parking reform tag.
FULL STORY: Every Growing City Should Heed Austin’s New Parking Law
Austin Won't Commit to Parking Reductions for Affordable Housing Project
The developer of a proposed affordable housing argues that minimum parking requirements will reduce the number of units or pass costs to tenants, Austin regulators expressed are worried about local parking supplies and access to public transit.
Austin Eliminates Parking Requirements
After eliminating downtown parking requirements ten years ago, the city will now end minimum parking mandates citywide.
Richmond Poised to Repeal Parking Minimums
The city’s planning commission recommended that the city council eliminate parking mandates that limit housing production and increase housing costs.
The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.
Cool Walkability Planning
Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.
Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.
The infamously car-centric city is weighing a proposed congestion pricing pilot program to reduce traffic and encourage public transit use.
Illinois Legislators Pass Controversial I-55 Road Expansion Legislation
Legislation to enable the addition of express toll lanes on Interstate 55 in the Southwest Side of Chicago, opposed by environmental justice advocates, cleared the Illinois General Assembly last month.
What Is ‘Arterial Rapid Transit?’
Atlanta is planning to build ‘BRT lite,’ a version of bus service that offers signal priority and fewer stops but keeps buses in mixed-traffic lanes.
Vermont Latest State to Preempt Single-Family Zoning
The approval of the HOME law, S.100, will allow for duplexes in all residential neighborhoods in Vermont. Large swaths of residential zones in the state must also now allow tri- and four-plexes.
Caltrans
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
