With underground parking spaces costing $37,000 and more to build in Chicago, it might come as a shock that a recent study found much more parking supply than demand around the city's apartment buildings.
Robert Channick reports on a study by the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago that finds a lot of empty parking in apartment buildings around the city. "Mandated parking garages and surface lots at apartment buildings across the city were on average one-third empty, wasting space that may make neighborhoods more expensive and less walkable," explains Channick.
The article acknowledges that both Chicago and Evanston have relaxed parking requirements for residential developments located near transit stations—yet there is still far more supply than demand for parking overall in the city. The article includes more details about the methodology of the study, and the effect of parking requirements on developments around the city.
FULL STORY: Chicago has apartment building parking glut, study shows
‘Cut the Tape’ Report Takes Aim at Inefficiencies
A set of recommendations from the Chicago mayor’s office calls for streamlining city processes to stimulate more residential and commercial development.
Parking Inventories for Five Cities
A new report providing credible estimates of five cities of differing size and geographic location reveals one truth about the United States: parking is the dominant land use in cities.
Resurrecting the Classic American Main Street
In an interview, urbanism scholar Emily Talen discusses what it would take to restore "main street principles" to American towns and cities. Understandably, small retailers play a big role.
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.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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