5 ms·

Something I only recently learned is that zoning rules generally require housing developments to include a certain amount of parking. This drives up the cost of

by notJim 5y ago

Something I only recently learned is that zoning rules generally require housing developments to include a certain amount of parking. This drives up the cost of housing, because of the space required (either up or out.) Many cities are reducing or eliminating these requirements in an effort to make housing more affordable. However, it does mean that parking will become harder, as there will be more competition for street spaces.

foxpurple 5y ago
You can reset your costs by renting out the car park. I make $50 AUD/week renting out my city car park to someone who works near by.
- notJim 5y ago
  That's interesting, but I doubt it would be allowed by most apartment leases, and I think for townhomes, many people wouldn't want some rando parking in their garage.
- dghlsakjg 5y ago
  In many places outside urban cores in the US, the rules are such that the amount of parking created is far in excess of demand. You could try and rent your spot, but it would be pointless. Inside urban cores the parking is frequently underground and gated off so that it makes it hard to rent out without breaking the security rules for your building. At the last place I lived in Vancouver, BC there was 2 levels of underground parking for 3 stories of living space. It is absolutely wild to think that a building along a major transit corridor was required to reserve 2/5 of their building for private vehicles in a city that is famously progressive with transit (for north america)
TulliusCicero 5y ago
Not just housing developments. Virtually all development tends to be mandated to provide large amounts of car parking.
simonsarris 5y ago
a certain amount of parking and certain "setbacks", a mandated distance from the road, which also increases the lot size required.
nomel 5y ago
> However, it does mean that parking will become harder In the city I'm near, using public parking lots means a 20 minute walk to your destination, with a $10 fee from all the time walking (or uber), with private parking costing around $15, and no meters in sight. This creates an isolated area that people never go to for a bite to eat, coffee, window shopping, or anything really, since it's a > $10 fee just to step on the sidewalk. Not surprisingly, there's incredible churn for the businesses down there (pre Coronavirus). The only people they have to service are the other businesses in the area and the few that live there. With coronavirus, it was all wiped out.
- notJim 5y ago
  That sounds strange, it sounds like an area that should’ve been served by foot and public transit traffic.
  - nomel 5y ago
    Yes, there is public transportation, but this is $6 and 20 minutes to the closest light rail stop. I never tried a bus. My point is that this area is almost only served by foot traffic, but getting your feet on the sidewalk has a pretty significant cost. I don't think this is odd though, since it's been the experience I've had getting to any downtown area. Visiting downtown San Fransisco costs around $10 to actually get too, after all is said and done, even from within the city, unless you walk/bike/spend 20 minutes.
    - mrgordon 5y ago
      Lyft Line and Uber Pool were usually $4-5 around San Francisco before COVID and you can use electric bikes through the bike share for $15 for the entire month. Obviously it’s easier if you live near the walkable area, but it doesn’t need to be as expensive as you claim and SF is one of the more expensive cities.
      - nomel 5y ago
        > Lyft Line and Uber Pool were usually $4-5 Two way is $10. > you can use electric bikes through the bike share for $15 for the entire month That 20 minutes is back.
twelvechairs 5y ago
The original purpose is literally to stop cars parking on streets. Carsharing services are a game changer for urban people who use a car once a week or so (go to the shops, visit family, etc.) And should be substituted in any requirements at a 30:1-50:1 ratio or thereabouts. Developera still need car parking to attract many buyers however
gleenn 5y ago
That's great, hopefully it will make cities more walkable as a result.
newyankee 5y ago
Only solution i see is a brand new city built from ground up with entirely new rules and welcoming people to that kind of life. Car free, autonomous pods, grids, public transit and small footprint. If it succeeds then others will have a model to emulate. I do not know what legal changes will be needed to make something like this happen. There is no reason other than safety where existing archaic town planning rules need to be implemented everywhere.
- davidw 5y ago
  Cities are pretty adaptable, no need to build one from scratch. Look at how Amsterdam changed, or how Paris is changing now
  - aix1 5y ago
    To illustrate, here are some historic photos of Amsterdam: https://exploring-and-observing-cities.org/2016/01/11/amsterdam-historic-images-depicting-the-transition-from-cars-to-bikes/ https://exploring-and-observing-cities.org/2016/01/11/amster...
    - dmitriid 5y ago
      And here's a video, "How the Dutch got their cycle paths" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o
jeffchien 5y ago
Strong Towns page on it: https://www.strongtowns.org/parking https://www.strongtowns.org/parking LA-specific advocacy site: https://noparkinghere.com/ https://noparkinghere.com/ Back in 2019/11, LA was thinking about lifting the requirement in downtown, but that seems to have been shelved.
matttproud 5y ago
If you want an introduction into the policy side, read: Duany, et al.’s Suburban Nation. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780865477506 https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780865477506 Kunstler‘s Geography of Nowhere. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Geography-Of-Nowhere/James-Howard-Kunstler/9780671888251 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Geography-Of-Nowhere/... It is extremely dismal but also theoretically fixable for future development.

by notJim 5y ago

foxpurple 5y ago

You can reset your costs by renting out the car park. I make $50 AUD/week renting out my city car park to someone who works near by.

notJim 5y ago
That's interesting, but I doubt it would be allowed by most apartment leases, and I think for townhomes, many people wouldn't want some rando parking in their garage.
dghlsakjg 5y ago
In many places outside urban cores in the US, the rules are such that the amount of parking created is far in excess of demand. You could try and rent your spot, but it would be pointless. Inside urban cores the parking is frequently underground and gated off so that it makes it hard to rent out without breaking the security rules for your building. At the last place I lived in Vancouver, BC there was 2 levels of underground parking for 3 stories of living space. It is absolutely wild to think that a building along a major transit corridor was required to reserve 2/5 of their building for private vehicles in a city that is famously progressive with transit (for north america)

TulliusCicero 5y ago

Not just housing developments. Virtually all development tends to be mandated to provide large amounts of car parking.

simonsarris 5y ago

a certain amount of parking and certain "setbacks", a mandated distance from the road, which also increases the lot size required.

nomel 5y ago

> However, it does mean that parking will become harder In the city I'm near, using public parking lots means a 20 minute walk to your destination, with a $10 fee from all the time walking (or uber), with private parking costing around $15, and no meters in sight. This creates an isolated area that people never go to for a bite to eat, coffee, window shopping, or anything really, since it's a > $10 fee just to step on the sidewalk. Not surprisingly, there's incredible churn for the businesses down there (pre Coronavirus). The only people they have to service are the other businesses in the area and the few that live there. With coronavirus, it was all wiped out.

notJim 5y ago
That sounds strange, it sounds like an area that should’ve been served by foot and public transit traffic.
- nomel 5y ago
  Yes, there is public transportation, but this is $6 and 20 minutes to the closest light rail stop. I never tried a bus. My point is that this area is almost only served by foot traffic, but getting your feet on the sidewalk has a pretty significant cost. I don't think this is odd though, since it's been the experience I've had getting to any downtown area. Visiting downtown San Fransisco costs around $10 to actually get too, after all is said and done, even from within the city, unless you walk/bike/spend 20 minutes.
  - mrgordon 5y ago
    Lyft Line and Uber Pool were usually $4-5 around San Francisco before COVID and you can use electric bikes through the bike share for $15 for the entire month. Obviously it’s easier if you live near the walkable area, but it doesn’t need to be as expensive as you claim and SF is one of the more expensive cities.
    - nomel 5y ago
      > Lyft Line and Uber Pool were usually $4-5 Two way is $10. > you can use electric bikes through the bike share for $15 for the entire month That 20 minutes is back.

twelvechairs 5y ago

The original purpose is literally to stop cars parking on streets. Carsharing services are a game changer for urban people who use a car once a week or so (go to the shops, visit family, etc.) And should be substituted in any requirements at a 30:1-50:1 ratio or thereabouts. Developera still need car parking to attract many buyers however

gleenn 5y ago

That's great, hopefully it will make cities more walkable as a result.

newyankee 5y ago

Only solution i see is a brand new city built from ground up with entirely new rules and welcoming people to that kind of life. Car free, autonomous pods, grids, public transit and small footprint. If it succeeds then others will have a model to emulate. I do not know what legal changes will be needed to make something like this happen. There is no reason other than safety where existing archaic town planning rules need to be implemented everywhere.

davidw 5y ago
Cities are pretty adaptable, no need to build one from scratch. Look at how Amsterdam changed, or how Paris is changing now
- aix1 5y ago
  To illustrate, here are some historic photos of Amsterdam: https://exploring-and-observing-cities.org/2016/01/11/amsterdam-historic-images-depicting-the-transition-from-cars-to-bikes/ https://exploring-and-observing-cities.org/2016/01/11/amster...
  - dmitriid 5y ago
    And here's a video, "How the Dutch got their cycle paths" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o

jeffchien 5y ago

Strong Towns page on it: https://www.strongtowns.org/parking https://www.strongtowns.org/parking LA-specific advocacy site: https://noparkinghere.com/ https://noparkinghere.com/ Back in 2019/11, LA was thinking about lifting the requirement in downtown, but that seems to have been shelved.

matttproud 5y ago

If you want an introduction into the policy side, read: Duany, et al.’s Suburban Nation. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780865477506 https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780865477506 Kunstler‘s Geography of Nowhere. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Geography-Of-Nowhere/James-Howard-Kunstler/9780671888251 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Geography-Of-Nowhere/... It is extremely dismal but also theoretically fixable for future development.