What will people really pay for parking? This study measures the value of garages or dedicated spaces to properties on the market in Philadelphia.
In a study, Kevin Gillen looks at how much Philadelphia residents value parking. Jake Blumgart writes, "Gillen took house and condo sales across Philadelphia and compared the prices of units that come with garages or other forms of parking and those without. [...] Gillen found that the average difference between a home or condo with a parking space and one without is between $18,000 and $28,000."
"Gillen found a parking space within a mile of City Hall adds around $60,000 to its value (8 percent for houses, 14 percent for condos)."
Of mandatory parking minimums, Gillen warns that "Forcing developers to build more parking spaces when they build housing could put the brakes on new units, especially those that are more affordable for middle-to-working class people."
Amid a healthy market for development, Philadelphia is experiencing its share of controversy over parking. Says Gillen, "The logical response is that if people are placing an actual dollar value on something, but they are getting it for free, then you should charge them for it. [...] We should be charging in the neighborhoods where demand exceeds supply of free on-street parking. How politically possible or palatable is that? I imagine it would meet with enormous resistance."
The N.Y.C. Free Parking Giveaway Needs to Stop
Free street parking in much of New York City means lost revenue, but it also affects the urban landscape and the quality of people’s lives. So how much is all that street space really worth?
Showdown in Seattle: Should Developers Forgo Parking?
A mixed-use project in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over parking. Activists are fighting rules that let developers omit parking in areas with a certain level of transit service.
A Parking Success Story in Philadelphia
It's much easier to talk the parking talk than to walk the parking walk. Philadelphia, however, is showing how to actually replace overabundant parking with walkable housing developments.
America’s Best New Bike Lanes
PeopleForBikes highlights some of the most exciting new bike infrastructure projects completed in 2022.
Massachusetts Zoning Reform Law Reaches First Deadline
Cities and towns had until January 31 to submit their draft plans for rezoning areas near transit stations to comply with a new state law.
Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Conspiracy Theorists Discover the 15-Minute City
USA Today debunks the false claim that the United Nations’ call for enabling 15-minute cities is a coded plan to institute ‘climate change lockdowns.’
HUD Grants Total $315 Million for Continuum of Care for the Unhoused
An unprecedented federal grant program, announced earlier this month, will support continuum of care for the unhoused in unsheltered and rural settings.
Seattle Historic District Could Remove Street Dining
Despite the popularity of Ballard Avenue’s outdoor dining pergolas, some district board members argue the patios don’t match the district’s historic character.
Ascent Environmental
California Polytechnic State University
City of Albuquerque Planning Department
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Hercules
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
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.
