Richmond, Virginia has decided to study the idea of removing parking minimums to lower the cost of housing and make more efficient use of land in the city.
"Richmond City Council members [in May] advanced a proposal to study striking rules about the minimum number of parking spaces new developments must have," reports Chris Suarez.
"City planners in recent years have promoted the concept in principle, adopting new zoning and future plans that emphasize public transit and converting commercial and public parking lots into buildings that generate more tax revenue," reports Suarez.
City Councilmember Andreas Addison, who represents the city's first council district, proposed the study with the ultimate goal of eliminating the city's parking requirements. Councilmember Addison has emerged as a leading voice for parking reform, as further evidenced in another May article written by Roberto Roldan. The parking reform movement has been active in Richmond since at least 2017, with an article written at the time by Michael C. Hild.
According to the article by Suarez, the city has already shown the capacity for zoning reforms that prioritize public transit and adaptive reuse, like in the Monroe Ward and Scott’s Addition areas.
[Editor's note: Suarez reports the story after a committee vote, but before full City Council approval, which came a week later.]
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