This article was written by Griffin Stotland.

Tracking Parking Reform Legislation Across the U.S.

Hello everyone! My name is Griffin Stotland, and I’m excited to introduce myself as one of the research interns here at PRN. I’ve had the pleasure of leading the development of an exciting new project that I’m thrilled to share with you—a comprehensive interactive map that tracks the status of parking reform legislation at the state level, nationwide.

A Little About Me:

Growing up in rural Vermont, I saw how excessive parking requirements could shape communities in ways that often went unnoticed. However, it was when I lived in the rapidly developing and car-centric urban center of Doha, Qatar, that I truly understood the critical importance of thoughtful public planning. In Doha, I witnessed the dramatic impact of urban planning decisions on daily life, from transportation accessibility to housing affordability.

One particular experience stands out. During my time as a senator for the Brandeis Student Union, in Boston, MA, I had the opportunity to lead a project on campus transportation. Our goal was to revitalize the transportation network post-Covid. To make informed decisions, we analyzed various data sets on student transportation needs and preferences. Visualizing this data through interactive charts allowed us to identify key areas for improvement and effectively communicate our findings to the administration.

These experiences solidified my belief in the power of data visualization to drive significant positive change in urban planning. Motivated by this, I joined PRN to help broaden the scope of our map products. The possibility of working on data visualization was a major draw for me, as it allowed me to channel my passion for research and urban planning into practical efforts to promote smarter, more sustainable cities.

Introducing Our New Interactive Map:

Today, I’m proud to announce the launch of our latest parking reform resource, an interactive map that covers the status of parking reform legislation across all 50 states. This new tool is designed to provide a valuable reference for policymakers, advocates, and anyone interested in promoting smarter parking policies.

Key Features of the Map:

• National Coverage: Our interactive StoryMap currently provides an overview of 64 state-level parking reform bills, including those that have been enacted into law.
• Bill Summaries and Status: Each bill summary includes a link to the original PDF of the bill, the current status of the bill (passed, pending, failed to pass), and key details about its provisions.
• User Feedback: The map allows anyone to submit a report to add a new bill or request updates on bill statuses.

Why Parking Reform Matters:

My work on this map has been driven by a deep belief in the importance of advocating for policies that help promote affordable housing, reduce our carbon footprint, and create more livable communities. I hope that by providing a clear, accessible overview of parking reform efforts nationwide, we can help build momentum to create urban spaces that prioritize people over cars.

Explore the Map and Get Involved:

I invite you to explore our new interactive map and use it as a tool in your advocacy efforts.

Thank you for your support of the Parking Reform Network. I’m excited to be part of this community and to contribute to the ongoing efforts to reform parking policies across the country. Stay tuned for more updates and let’s keep pushing for progress! If you want to get involved and help expand this StoryMap, please join our Slack community by becoming a member today!