There are an estimated two billion public parking spots for about 280 million cars nationwide—an unprecedented waste of public space that contributes to traffic and congestion, dangerous conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, and unsustainable costs for residential and commercial development.

And this is not just an urban issue. Rural communities across the country also have underutilized or mismanaged parking, experiencing many of the same negative impacts as their urban counterparts.

All this parking has an impact on our health, our environment, and our quality of life. Parking minimums drive up the cost of development, contributing to the housing crisis. They also limit the space available for cyclists and public transit, and requirements for large surface lots or parking garages can lead to destinations being spaced further apart, making walking and rolling to a destination difficult if not impossible. Like overbuilt highways, an abundance of parking spaces also has a tendency to change travel behavior. The more parking available, the more likely people are to drive, even if transit is readily available—and since driving is one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in our nation, this trend matters.

As communities across the country rethink their parking requirements, we’re taking a moment to examine all the trouble parking minimums have caused—and what we can do about it. Learn more by clicking one of the images below.