The parking reform movement continues its march across the continent.
"Like almost every municipality in North America for the past fifty years, Edmonton has told businesses, developers and landowners how much parking they must provide on their property," according to an article by Ashley Salvador. But that's about the change. "Last month, however, Edmonton implemented a radical rule change: going forward, other than mandatory accessible spaces, no property would be required to provide any parking whatsoever."
"The rule change made Edmonton the first major Canadian city to eliminate off-street parking minimums citywide," adds Slavador. "As an urban planning tweak, the move may seem arcane. But Edmonton’s policy change is a very big deal — a radical rejoinder to the notion that cities need ample parking. Its results will be closely watched by officials across the continent."
Salvador is absolutely correct about the significance of Eddmonton's parking reform, which vaults Edmonton into the lead of a group that includes Hartford, Buffalo, and San Francisco in the United States, with numerous other cities considering wholesale parking reform and others considering a more incremental approach, removing minimum parking requirements in select parts of town.
The continent's largest city by population, Mexico City, eliminated parking requirements citywide in 2017. Off the continent, New Zealand just passed nationwide parking reforms along with a package of height limit reforms.
Back in Edmonton, Salvador adds soundbites from Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson listing the benefits of parking reform, including environmental sustainability and economic resilience for both businesses and individuals.
Planetizen first picked up news about Edmonton's plans for parking reform in May.
FULL STORY: Edmonton’s New Parking Rule Is an Urban Planner’s Dream
The Pretext Problem: The Pitfalls of Planning While Bargaining
Lots of planning is discretionary. Cities and developers negotiate what builders will do for cities in exchange for the right to build, creating an incentive for bad rules, eroding the public's faith in zoning, and enabling political corruption.
Minneapolis Eliminates Parking Requirements Citywide
Minneapolis joins the avant garde of cities implementing a dramatic overhaul of the parking requirement status quo that has been a primary determinant of the form and function of cities for nearly a century.
Is the Era of Over-Parking Over?
Cities like Vancouver are rethinking parking minimums as they try to meet climate goals, reduce traffic, and reallocate street space to other modes.
‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland
Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.
Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny
The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.
Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?
New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?
700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah
A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.
More Cities Ponder the End of Drive-Thrus
Drive-thru fast food restaurants might be a staple of American life, but several U.S. cities are actively considering prohibiting the development of new drive-thrus for the benefit of traffic safety, air quality, and congestion.
Air Pollution World’s Worst Public Health Threat, Report Says
Air pollution is more likely to take years life off the lifespan of the average human than any other external factor, according to a recent report out of the University of Chicago.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
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