Parking lots across the U.S. are designed to accommodate the crowds of cars participating in the busiest shopping day of the year. By asking his readers to capture images of underutilized lots last Friday, Chuck Marohn set out to expose the fallacy.

Marohn's inaugural #BlackFridayParking social media campaign was a tremendous success, with dozens of contributors helping to expose the "ridiculous" policies that mandate the oceans of overbuilt parking that blight our landscapes.
"Can you imagine Wal-Mart building an entire row of their store and then leaving the shelves empty? It would be ridiculous. Why then do we simply accept that large swaths of their land would be built upon for a use (parking) that literally never happens? We accept it because that is the price of entry, the cost of complying with local regulations," he writes.
"Here's the great thing: the solution to this problem is really, really easy. All a city needs to do is repeal their parking minimums. If you want to stop this ridiculous waste of resources, support small businesses, encourage reuse of existing properties, limit environmental degradation and make your city financially stronger, just repeal your minimum parking requirement. No lawyer or expensive consultant is necessary."
FULL STORY: The meaning of #BlackFridayParking

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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