Los Angeles has a parking problem—namely, too much of it—caused by minimum parking requirements.
Los Angeles has 6 million parking spaces, many more than the city needs, and the minimum mandatory parking policy is a source of the problem, writes Anthony Dedousis.
When buildings are required to provide a certain amount of parking, the result is an overflow of parking that encourages driving and takes up valuable space that could be used for additional housing and pedestrian and biking infrastructure.
The Department of City Planning is considering eliminating parking minimums in downtown Los Angeles. But Dedousis thinks a bolder step needs to be taken.
"Instead of simply removing parking minimums, L.A. should introduce parking maximums downtown. New buildings would still be allowed to construct on-site parking, but only up to a limit. Developments requiring more parking than the maximum could lease it from existing buildings and garages with surpluses," he says.
In addition, officials should extend such a policy beyond downtown to the rest of the city. "L.A. needs its leaders to take a stand. We have enough homes for cars. Let’s prioritize homes and mobility for people," argues Dedousis.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions