The sweeping city council decision removes set parking requirements from developments downtown, near transit, small businesses and more.

The Dallas City Council voted to reduce minimum parking requirements in many parts of the city, including areas near transit. Writing in the Strong Towns blog, Asia Mieleszko explains how the new rules could help ease the city’s housing crisis and support small businesses.
The new rules completely eliminate parking minimums for residential developments with less than 200 units and bars and restaurants under 2,500 square feet, as well as many other office and retail spaces. “If a structure is officially designated as historic, parking mandates are gone—removing one of the biggest obstacles to restoring or reusing older buildings.”
Dallas follows other cities and states in reforming parking requirements, which impose arbitrary mandates that often drive up the cost of housing or make starting a business impossible. “By removing these outdated mandates, Dallas is giving builders more flexibility to use land and resources for actual homes instead of storage space for cars. This could lower barriers to entry for small developers and help diversify the city’s housing stock—especially in areas where parking requirements previously made infill development infeasible.”
FULL STORY: Dallas Just Ditched Its Outdated Parking Rules—Here’s What That Means

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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