Report: Transit Oriented Developments Have Way Too Much Parking

Smart Growth America surveyed five examples of transit oriented developments from around the country and found a common characteristics: all of the projects have way too much parking.

1 minute read

February 2, 2017, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Los Angeles

Transit oriented developments like the one pictured here at Wilshire and Vermont in Los Angeles respond to a misguided priority on parking. | Google Street View

"Auto-centric standards and zoning requirements have led to too much parking being built around transit stations, leaving many parking spaces empty and wasting valuable land that could be better used," reports Katherine Shaver.

Shaver is sharing information from a new study released by Smart Growth America, titled "Empty Space: Real parking needs at five TODs."

The study examined five transit-oriented developments, in Washington, Los Angeles, Oakland, and near Seattle and Denver. None of the developments "generated enough parking to fill even half the number that planning industry standards would have suggested," explains Shaver. Moreover, "in some cases, about one-third of the parking spaces that would be recommended for a new development under industry standards were actually used, even at peak times."

Angie Schmitt also details the new report in a post for Streetsblog USA.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017 in The Washington Post

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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