Eliminating Parking Minimums

Eliminating parking minimums can both reduce the number of cars on the road and lower the cost of building new housing, which is urgently needed as the housing crisis grows. More than 1,400 cities have eliminated parking requirements in some portion of their cities, with at least 40 abolishing or reducing parking requirements citywide. Examples include San Jose, the biggest city to approve the removal of minimum parking requirements, and Austin, Texas, which in 2023 passed a resolution to remove all mandatory parking requirements for new developments.

There are many benefits for cities choosing to eliminate parking minimums. These include freeing up space for more efficient land use, cost savings, improving the environment, and reducing traffic congestion from less dependency on cars. Concerns, however, include a lack of accessibility for those who are reliant on personal vehicles due to an inability to use public transport or walk. Planners should consider the needs of all community members when evaluating parking policies for their communities. For further information, read the Planning articles "5 Essential Tips for Repealing Parking Minimums" and "A Business Case for Dropping Parking Minimums."