Strong Towns’ Post

We did an exercise in my Walkable Cities course where we counted up the various types of parking parcels in downtown Phoenix. In the couple block radius we looked at, ~25% of the land was made up of parking! That's a LOT of wasted potential! There were lots (lol) of surface parking lots but also several parking garages, though there were some where parking was subsurface or encompassed by storefronts. I decided to take a look at a significantly smaller Elmira and noticed the same if not more of downtown Elmira was covered with surface parking lots! Even worse, after moving back to the area and getting to walk around again, so many are either completely empty most of the time or have a handful of cars in the entire lot at any given moment. And two underutilized parking structures, which probably haven't ever seen full capacity. These underutilized, heat-generating surfaces tear up our urban fabric and contribute to urban heat islands. The least we should be doing is breaking up these surfaces with green (trees, bioswales, rain gardens) and making them safe for pedestrians, and encouraging the use of our parking garages. The City built Gerard Way with essentially no nearby parking and on-street parking is hardly utilized off of the one block of Water + Main in downtown. Yet some businesses with 10 employees have full parking lots to themselves and no trespassing/private property signs. We should be sewing up the fabric by developing on these underutilized parcels to create a more walkable, compatible, and enjoyable downtown. With work planned for the garage, we should be working with downtown businesses and apartments to ensure the garage is being used all throughout the day, rather than tenants taking up on-street parking meant for businesses. And get rid of parking minimums while we're at it!

Why Cities Are Getting Rid of Decades-Old Parking Rules Hundreds of cities have cut back parking requirements for real estate projects. That’s led to more housing development, but it has also resulted in backlash from residents.

Should cities mark on-street parking spaces or leave them unmarked? Individual cities and towns have the freedom to decide. 🤔 There are many reasons to mark parking spots and also many reasons not to. 🚗 Here are some of the reasons cities choose NOT to mark spaces: 🛠️ Maintenance. Where spots are marked, lines must be kept in good condition through regular restriping, which carries significant time and cost. 📏 Sizing. If parking spaces are marked, the length of those spaces needs to be determined, and that decision gets complicated quickly. The larger you make each space, the fewer cars you can fit along the block. 🔍 Lack of clear need. If you’re going to mark parking spaces, you should be able to articulate why. If on-street parking is not paid, and you’re not concerned with collecting data, the decision to leave it unmarked could simply be because you don’t need marking—a common rationale in residential areas.

This Planetizen article describes the city of Vancouver's new policies to eliminate parking mandates and allow more compact development around transit stations. Well done, Vancouver! "Vancouver Eliminates Parking Mandates, Supports TOD" In a significant step for more diverse housing and transit-friendly development, the Vancouver City Council eliminated parking minimums and adopted a Transit-Oriented Areas (TOA) policy. (https://lnkd.in/gaJ3SXU5)

As Spokane eliminates parking minimums for new developments, we’re entering a transformative period in urban development. This change opens up opportunities for developers to focus on denser, more sustainable projects without the constraints of parking requirements. For those of us in commercial real estate, this could mean more flexibility in project designs and potentially more affordable housing options. How do you see this shift impacting the market and our communities? https://lnkd.in/gVsuRWtx

The most transformative updates to New York City’s Zoning Resolution since 1961 are here. The recently approved City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is reshaping how the city grows by incentivizing affordable housing, easing office-to-residential conversions, and eliminating parking mandates in transit-rich areas. Curious about how these changes could impact your property or projects? Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eDsskPC5

We added a retaining wall to expand parking at one of our small multi's in New England. Adding needed parking at the property not only allows us to increase parking fees, but also helps us retain residents and attract new ones upon turnover. As many municipalities reduce parking requirements for new developments, on-site parking is a great way for existing value-add properties to gain a competitive advantage in the rental market. These small amenities can make a big difference! ____________________________________________________________________________________________ There are more inefficiencies in the small-multi market place creating more opportunities. These opportunities should not be ignored by passive retain investors.

As the Silvertown Tunnel nears its grand opening, expectations are high for its impact on London’s notorious traffic congestion. This modern marvel promises not only to alleviate the daily grind but also to enhance the overall connectivity between the north and south sides of the Thames. But with any major infrastructure, questions arise: Will it deliver on its promises, or could it lead to unforeseen complications in urban traffic dynamics? • Potential Benefits: Improved traffic flow, reduced congestion in critical areas, and quicker emergency response times. • Community Concerns: Potential for increased traffic in residential areas and environmental impacts. • Long-term Impact: Could the tunnel be a stepping stone to more comprehensive urban transportation solutions? Engage in the discussion about how the Silvertown Tunnel will shape the future of transport in London and beyond. Share your thoughts on whether this infrastructure will be a boon or a bane to London’s commuters. #SilvertownTunnel #LondonTraffic #InfrastructureDevelopment #UrbanPlanning

Location Variable does NOT 🚫 support congestion-based pricing in NYC nor anywhere else for that matter. The supposed benefits (i.e., alleviating traffic) are proven false (and the converse true - see London). Previously dubbed "Lexus Lanes", congestion-based pricing is not only discriminatory, double taxation but particularly damaging in terms of an important concept in urban studies known as "right to the city". 🌆 Location Variable founder, Michael A. Quintieri, DBA, came of age in New York and looks forward to brighter days ahead despite a dangerous trend. Follow Location Variable for tips on how to avoid congestion pricing in Manhattan. #newyorkcity #NYC #Manhattan #tristate #EZPass #congestionpricing #shunpike #carpetbagging #locationvariable

New York is the City that never sleeps, and Toronto is the City that no longer moves. Did I snap this picture during Friday rush hour? Nope. It's Sunday afternoon, and my cab driver says this is the new normal. I feel for my taxi driver and gave him a 20% tip for crawling through this snarl. I feel for estranged families —one lives on the west side of the city and the other on the right. I feel for the Seniors who need to access healthcare. I feel for everyone in the experience economy, especially tourism and hospitality and all the suppliers who support them. I feel for employers who want their employees back in the office and landlords hoping they do. I feel for the ambulance, truck, streetcar and bus drivers trying to navigate these roads. I feel for the property tax owners who got dinged for a 10% increase and the cost of parking if you venture into the city. I am a huge fan of democracy, but would we be better off if professional management ran our cities, managed our infrastructure, and was rewarded for on-time and on-budget completion? I would love to know the number. How much have we gone over budget in all of these infrastructure projects? How much is the result of poor planning—that Brad Bradford is making a strong case for—how much for change orders on the fly and new governments that bring in the new and throw out the old? If private enterprises ran infrastructure, they would have a 25-year plan, use data, deploy best practices, and invite more competition in our bidding and construction projects. Would streetcars, with embedded tracks that must be constantly repaired and ugly wires hanging overhead, survive that kind of scrutiny? We just invested billions in electric battery plants—shouldn't we be investing in electric buses? Would you have stand-alone stations on Eglinton or use this priceless space to create retail and residential spaces below and above? What do you think?