To create more active and economically healthy downtowns, cities are seeking development on parking lots.
More and more downtowns are re-evaluating the value of their parking lots. As Romy Varghese reports, cities are creating incentives to build revenue-generating uses on parking lots. With a decline in driving and a desire for a more "pleasant pedestrian experience,” cities like Minneapolis and Baltimore are providing tax credits on parking lots to attract new development and considering prohibiting parking lots on main streets.
“Parking lots are natural for development because there’s often no demolition involved and chances of running into environmental issues are lower.” Varghese quotes Minneapolis' principal city planner Beth Elliott: “The more property investment, the more taxes we have to be able to make improvements in roads, in transit, in parks.”
FULL STORY: Parking Lots Demolished in Cities’ Revenue Bid as Driving Wanes
How Downtown Public Space Investments Impact Equity
Efforts to revitalize declining downtowns have, in some cases, become catalysts for supporting small, minority-owned, local businesses.
Planning a New Downtown in a Small Georgia Town
At a recent town hall meeting in Loganville, Georgia, local residents and stakeholders proposed ways to revitalize the city's downtown and build improved amenities for the city's residents.
Toledo Healthcare Nonprofit Wants City Parkland for a Parking Garage
ProMedica is a locally owned nonprofit healthcare organization that is in the process of moving 900 employees from various suburban locations in the Toledo area into its newly renovated riverfront headquarters in Downtown Toledo.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Surf’s Upcycling: Hawai‘i’s Latest Green Building Material is Recycled Surf Boards
“Surf Blocks” are fire-resistant, termite-proof, and close the loop on mountains of waste from the state’s beloved sport.
Building Age-Friendly Homes
Designing for the unique needs of elderly people can help them maintain social connections and mental acuity.
Nightlife and the 15-Minute City
Plans for compact, walkable cities often don’t address nighttime concerns like transportation and lighting, which can make neighborhoods more vibrant and safe around the clock.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service