It's an idea that has already had some success in Philadelphia: give developers a tax abatement on projects that achieve some desired end, in this case fewer surface parking lots.
Several city leaders in Spokane, Washington want to do something about downtown's overabundance of parking lots. Their idea, Nicholad Deschais writes, is simple: "offer developers a 10-year break from taxes on any project they build on what is now a surface parking lot. It could be a residential tower or an office building. It could even be a parking garage."
We've seen something similar in Philadelphia recently. But the Washington legislation is still "far from assured. Its path is complex, and even if it does become law, it's unclear if it will stoke development at all." If passed, the bill would apply to Washington cities with populations between 150,000 and 250,000, bringing Tacoma and Vancouver (WA) into the fold.
In another piece on Spokane's plan in Streetsblog USA, Angie Schmitt writes, "In the very center of Spokane, right at the core of downtown, there are few surface parking lots — it's mainly garages that would be unaffected by the tax abatement. But [Andrew Rolwes, public policy and parking manager for Downtown Spokane Partnership] told Streetsblog USA the policy could be transformative for the 'next tier out from the downtown core.'"
FULL STORY: Getting There: City floats plan to phase parking lots out of downtown
Spokane Could Eliminate Parking Minimums Near Transit
A Washington state proposal to reduce parking minimums failed in the state legislature earlier this year.
Opinion: Cities Must Take Action on Blighted Downtown Parking Lots
Surface parking lots take up as much as a third of downtown land in some cities, dragging down tax revenue and redevelopment prospects.
Des Moines Plans to Repurpose Downtown Parking Lots
City officials want to encourage the redevelopment of underused surface parking lots.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years
The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service