Free Parking

Rethinking the Notion of Parking as a Public Good
Parking shapes every element of the urban environment, often to the detriment of a place. Why do we subsidize public parking as a public good, and how can we move forward?

Parking Lots: A National Treasure?
Did you know? The amount of public subsidies given to free parking far outweighs federal funding for the National Park Service.

Parking Battles Heat Up in New York City
With car ownership rates soaring, the fight for the city's free street parking spots is intensifying.

Free Parking as a Restaurant Business Incentive During Coronavirus
As restaurants and other local retail businesses ponder how to stay open as people stay at home and social distance for the foreseeable future, parking regulations will likely be reevaluated—they already are in Cincinnati.

N.Y.C. Parking Reform Takes Step Forward as Debate Rages On
In Manhattan, a contentious debate has been brewing over on-street parking and how that space could be used for something other than storing cars.

Less Free Parking for Transit Commuters in Southern Ontario
Transit planners in the region around Toronto are planning a "parking modernization" program that will charge for parking at GO stations and hope to provide new ways to access the system—without a car.

The N.Y.C. Free Parking Giveaway Needs to Stop
Free street parking in much of New York City means lost revenue, but it also affects the urban landscape and the quality of people’s lives. So how much is all that street space really worth?

For Lack of Free Parking, Downtown San Jose Loses a Grocery Store
Why isn't there a place for a major grocery store brand in the downtown of one of the most economically active cities in the country?

The True Cost of Parking in Philadelphia
What will people really pay for parking? This study measures the value of garages or dedicated spaces to properties on the market in Philadelphia.

The Most Effective Way to Reduce Employee Driving
The single most effective way a major employer in Seattle found to reduce solo driving was to charge employees for parking, but ruling-out monthly permits. An innovative method was adopted to charge workers on a daily basis
D.C. Considering a 'Cash-Out' Program to Get Commuters Out of Cars
Washington, D.C. is looking to cut back on one of the incentives that inspire commuters to drive to and from work.

State Legislation Could Make Parking Meters Legal in North Dakota Again
A law making its way through the North Dakota Legislative Assembly would challenge a prevailing assumption in the state that free parking is a human right.
Vanishing Act for Free Parking on the Las Vegas Strip
Among other things, the Las Vegas Strip is famous for seemingly infinite numbers of free parking spots. MGM, however, will soon change the game.
The Danger of Commuter Benefits for All
In yet another illustration of the high cost of free parking, Eric Jaffe reports on a study by two Virginia Tech transportation scholars that analyze all types of commuter transportation benefits and how they influence choice of commute mode.
Does Too-Plentiful Parking Spark Wild Parties at Chicago's Montrose Beach?
Parking is at the center of proposed urban design and planning responses a recent melee at Montrose Beach in Chicago, which followed an un-permitted concert.

Portland Shows How to Create More Downtown Parking (Without Building Any)
Dynamic pricing is not the only route to increasing parking availability. Better management of disabled placards at metered spaces may be an easier and more effective strategy. Implemented on July 1, Portland's policy is showing dramatic results.
Should Electric Cars Get Free Parking?
Ideally, the best way to encourage sales of non-polluting electric vehicles would be to price carbon emissions. But if that isn't possible, why not reward EV owners with perks such as free parking; or would that be a distortionary incentive?
Should Cities Eliminate Free Parking for the Disabled?
Ongoing research from the University of California Transportation Center documents the detrimental effects that free street parking for the disabled has on city coffers and performance pricing systems. Is it time to reconsider such laws.
Thinking Economically About Free Parking
This op-ed from The New York Times looks at the economics of free parking, and argues that many of those spaces should have a price tag.
California Considers Full-Cost Parking Bill
Having stalled in the state Senate last June, a bill that aims to "reduc(e) governmental or government-required subsidies for parking" passed out of the senate on Jan. 28. Parking strategies would be eligible for cap & trade credits under the bill.
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.
City of Albany
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