Using Church Parking Lots As Catalyst For Downtown Redevelopment

A program in Savannah is encouraging downtown churches to redevelop their parking lots to include needed affordable housing and neighborhood services.

1 minute read

May 31, 2007, 9:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"the main focus of the churches in downtown Savannah is to bring their members to a new spiritual life.

At the same time, however, they're in a prime position to breathe new economic life into their communities.

It's a matter of location, location, location.

Savannah Development and Renewal Authority Director Lise Sundrla said 15 churches downtown own more than 70 open lots.

The renewal authority began a program last year helping those churches develop plans for using those properties in a way that can boost the economic health and residential choices of the communities they serve.

The developments can even be done without losing much church parking- the main use the lots are seeing right now.

That's because, historically, commercial buildings downtown were constructed at the edge of the sidewalk. That means a new building can go up streetside, with parking at the rear of the building, approached from the side streets.

So far, seven churches have partnered with the SDRA. There are opportunities for many more."

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 in Savannah Morning News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Looking out at trees on 4th Street in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism

After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

April 23 - Torched

White and blue Sacramento regional transit bus with one bike on front bike rack.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras

The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

April 23 - Streetsblog California

View of downtown Seattle with Space Needle and mountains in background

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum

Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

April 23 - Next City