The city of Chicago needs a local agency empowered to planning, studying, or managing parking, according to a recent opinion piece published by Streetsblog Chicago.
"The future of progressive urbanism in Chicago hinges on how the city manages one specific type of infrastructure: parking," writes Michael Podgers to kick off an opinion piece calling for the creation of an office of parking management.
Podgers criticizes the status quo of parking in Chicago in the starkest possible terms: "Laissez-faire parking management has forced the city’s entire multi-modal transportation system into a state of arrested development. Without rethinking parking, the city is trapping itself into car-dependency."
While Podgers acknowledges the challenges of improving parking in the city of Chicago due to the historically bad contract between the city and its parking meter operator, an office of parking management could solve some of the city's problems, allowing for better inventories of parking availability, better leverage of city-owned properties, and, the possibility of unlocking resources through the use of dynamic management of curb spaces.
"None of this can happen unless the city establishes an office of parking management," writes Podgers. "The impact of parking on all other mobility systems and the value of curb space demands this. The office must be given adequate powers and funded in a meaningful way."
FULL STORY: Here’s why Chicago needs an office of parking management
State of Curbs & Parking Report Reveals Glut of Data
As the uses of curb space become more diverse, city officials are working to understand how to best manage this increasingly important urban amenity.
How Cities Use Tech for Curb Management
Curb monitoring technology is helping cities build a growing understanding of the shifting demand for this valuable urban space.
Motorists Sue Chicago Parking Meter Operator
A lawsuit claims a company's 75-year contract to manage the city of Chicago's parking meters amounts to an "unreasonable" monopoly.
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
San Diego Swaps Parking Lane for Kid-Friendly Mini Park
The block-long greenway will feature interactive play equipment and landscaping.
Tracking the Invisible: Methane Leaks From LA’s Neighborhood Oil Sites
Environmental advocates are using infrared technology to monitor and document methane leaks from neighborhood oil sites, filling regulatory gaps and pushing for stronger protections to safeguard community health and the climate.
Montana Bill Promotes Parking Reform
A bill before the Montana state senate would bar cities from requiring more than one parking spot per new housing unit.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland