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.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.
Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions