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.”
Read the full story: Parking Lots Demolished in Cities’ Revenue Bid as Driving Wanes
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Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority