No one is really sure how many parking spots the United States contains, but estimates stretch up to 2 billion.
This may conjure up images of asphalt seas surrounding suburban shopping malls, but city centers have their fair share as well. Manhattan, arguably one of the least amenable places in the country to cars, has 102,000 public off-street parking spaces [pdf] below 60th Street — more than four times the size of Disneyland. Studies have shown that a significant number of the cars circulating in central business districts at any given time are just looking for parking [pdf].
It also plays a major role in new construction, and not for the better. “Parking is the 800-pound gorilla in land development,” said Will Baumgardner, leader of Arup’s transport and mobility business in the Americas. On most projects, municipal zoning codes require developers to provide at least a set minimum amount of parking. Investors also exert pressure on this front. They often hesitate to fund projects with fewer-than-normal spots, fearing that potential tenants will be scared off by concerns over inaccessibility.
As a result, Baumgardner said, “many office projects build as much space for parking as floor space for people” — significantly increasing the development’s overall cost.
New frontiers
As autonomous vehicle (AV) technology advances, forward-thinking designers, developers, and policymakers are beginning to envision a world with much less parking.
FULL STORY: As a driverless future dawns, should we still build parking?
On the Self-Driving Car's Taste in Maps
The navigational software of successful driverless cars will make Google Maps seem like child's play. But can such a system replace or improve upon human instinct and adaptability?
Off-Street Parking in the Midburbs
In several New Jersey cities, eliminating parking requirements has boosted local businesses.
Busting Common Planning Myths
Will removing parking minimums put a strain on existing parking supply? Are long-range traffic forecasts the best tool to guide decisions about our streets? Are one-way streets better than two-way streets?
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
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.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?
Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.
Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events
Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
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
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland