Many communities are either “overparked” (meaning they have too much parking) or are inefficiently allocating their existing parking resources. By understanding how communities’ parking assets are being used and regulated we can ensure that all modes’ access to jobs, services and amenities is supported.
The connective tissue of our cities—the streets, roads, and transportation networks that enable people to move from place to place—are not exempt from the influence of parking minimums.
Large parking lots and excess parking spaces put a strain on our environment, and we’re already experiencing the short- and long-term effects.
The vast amount of underused parking spread across our communities has not only led to wasted space, stifled development, and higher costs—a topic discussed in a previous post in this series—but it has also encouraged more driving, even in otherwise walkable places with plenty of options for getting around. Cities, towns, and even individual business owners can seize this as an opportunity to encourage a much more balanced and efficient transportation landscape.
Everyone pays for free parking, whether or not they use it.
Right now there are almost eight parking spaces per person in America amounting to almost two billion parking spaces, yet there is a housing shortage of almost two million housing units. How did we get here?
LOCUS, Smart Growth America’s advocacy coalition for triple-bottom-line real estate developers, is deeply saddened by the passing of Bernie Glieberman, a founding member of LOCUS and visionary developer. Bernie’s dedication to ensuring accessible housing and livable neighborhoods for everyday Americans helped shape LOCUS’ mission from its earliest days. His vision and unwavering commitment to improving … Continued
As part of a Sustainable Growth webinar series for Climate Resilience Month in August, Smart Growth America’s Vice President of Land Use and Development, Katharine Burgess, participated in a webinar conversation that reflected on how the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has shaped housing and community resiliency in both the Gulf Coast region and our national … Continued
Smart Growth America is seeking a Senior Program Manager with 5-7 years of experience to lead and manage technical assistance projects and work in direct collaboration with the Director of Land Use and Development to advance SGA’s zoning reform and housing attainability portfolios. The Senior Program Manager will report to the Director of Land Use … Continued
The National Association of Counties (NACo) and Smart Growth America announced the launch of the first Counties for Housing Solutions (C4HS) cohort, a program designed to increase housing supply in urban counties.