28 August 2019

On the Parking Garages of the Future

". . . As America’s dependence on personal automobiles started increasing in the 1950s, local governments began mandating the number of parking spaces required when developers erected new apartments, offices and shopping centers. In urban areas where land was more expensive, that often necessitated the construction of multilevel garages . . . . Using perhaps excessive formulas, more space was often allocated for parked cars than for people. Decades later, mandatory parking minimums have resulted in a glut of spaces in the center of large cities. This is an issue nationwide. . .

"But many cities . . .  have begun to lower or eliminate mandatory parking minimums. . . . The National Parking Association (NPA), a trade group of lot operators, supports the relaxation of parking requirements for developers, saying that strict minimums not only add to construction costs but also lead to slower development and excess capacity. . . .

"Lurking behind this evolving consensus is the eventual prospect of autonomous vehicles, and how they would shift the calculus around ride-hailing services. . . ."

A recent Governing Magazine article examined various issues related to municipal and private parking garages, including options related to converting them for other uses.

To access the complete Governing report, please visit:

Governing: The Parking Garages of the Future (August 2019)

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