How Parking is Hampering Cincinnati's Resurgence

John Yung looks at how an overabundance of off-street parking spaces and outdated parking policies are harming Cincinnati's downtown rebound, and proposes three solutions to address the city's parking problem.

1 minute read

March 29, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


In downtown Cincinnati, off-street parking spaces outnumber residents by nearly 7 to 1. As the city embarks on a plan to "increase downtown vibrancy through additional residential space and increased foot traffic, concern for parking punctures the debate on how to further support the urban core," writes Yang.

Looking to cities such as Nashville, who have successfully overhauled parking minimums for buildings in their city center, for lessons, Yang proposes three potential solutions for Cincinnati to consider. These include eliminating minimum parking requirements, establishing a parking "cap and trade" system, and setting parking maximums.

Yang concludes that, "While the need for reform appears evident, a contextualized solution should be pursued by Cincinnati city officials that specifically tailors the policy to localized needs."

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 in UrbanCincy

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