Another domino has fallen in the parking reform movement.
The city of Durham approved a zoning reform initiative titled Simplifying Codes for Affordable Development (SCAD), which includes the end of parking mandates for new development.
Mary Helen Moore covers the story for The News & Observer, noting that “Monday’s vote, arriving at nearly midnight, followed four hours of debate in the last meeting before the newly elected City Council takes office next month.” The city is the ninth largest in the country to eliminate parking requirements, according to the Parking Reform Network.
The proposal, which was written by a group of developers, is controversial with both homeowner groups and affordable housing advocates like Habitat for Humanity, who withdrew their support.
In addition to removing parking mandates, SCAD eliminates maximum densities in commercial and office zones, allows places of worship to build ADUs, and requires mixed-use for certain developments. It also streamlines site plan review and adjust regulations to encourage infill development.
FULL STORY: ‘Closer and higher’: Durham becomes 9th largest city in US to end required parking
Pittsburgh Mayor Proposes Zoning Changes to Curb Housing Shortage
The mayor’s plan includes legalizing ADUs in single-family neighborhoods, eliminating parking requirements, and adding new affordability requirements to buildings with over 20 units.
Can Zoning Reform Save Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing?
With home sale prices growing faster than anywhere in the country, the Steel City could enact major reforms to boost density and lower housing costs.
NYC ‘City of Yes’ Seeks to Scale Back Parking Requirements
A rise in permit applications after recent changes to parking requirements shows how parking mandates stifle new residential development and raise the cost of housing.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
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.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research