Figure 2: Development possible on existing parking lots (based on current zoning). 82nd Ave between Foster & Powell.

How Much of Portland is Used for Off Street Parking?

4 Comments / Map, Research / By

Areas with concentrations of parking represent areas with concentrations of destinations. By concentrating people instead of cars in these areas, cities can begin to act on climate and housing goals simultaneously. Converting parking lots to housing creates climate resilience by removing asphalt surfaces that contribute to urban heat while also reducing vehicle miles traveled. A portion of these buildings that replace parking lots will have green roofs, which help with onsite water management and, again, reduced urban heat.

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Thomas Carpenito on his bike.

Meet Thomas Carpenito, Creator of the Parking Lot Map

Leave a Comment / Activism, Interview, Map, Research / By

We know parking lots take up too much valuable land in our communities. But how much land, exactly? Parking Reform Network researcher Thomas Carpenito wondered how he could find out — and how he could make that data make sense to people.  Parking Reform Network: How did you first become interested in parking reform?  Thomas

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Why I’m Donating my Insurance Settlement to the Parking Reform Network

2 Comments / Activism, Fundraising, Spotlight / By

One year ago, a pickup truck hit me on my bike in a hit-and-run while going to breakfast in Tempe, Arizona. The collision broke my collarbone, resulting in an incredibly frustrating three months of not being able to use my right arm while it healed.

Fortunately, my collarbone is fully recovered now. But I want to live in a world where collisions like this stop happening. So, I am donating $25k of the $28.8k* insurance settlement to the Parking Reform Network.

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Picture of a typical stroad in Canada

Parking Mandates, Equity, & Accessibility

Leave a Comment / Equity, Minimum Requirements, Opinion / By

Freeing up valuable space in our cities by reducing car-dependency can provide immense opportunities to intentionally design our cities around the needs of people with disabilities. Allowing people with disabilities to not only have independent mobility but also experience what it’s like to live in a city that directly prioritizes them rather than cars. When cities are designed around people instead of machines we get to enjoy an urban typology that encourages greater social connectedness, greater accessibility, greater equity and greater proximity to services and to each other.

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image shows how undeground parking imposes a disproportionate cost on midrise housing developments relative to lower density housing.

Missing Middle Housing and the Parking Problem

5 Comments / Activism, Minimum Requirements, Parking Benefit Districts / By

Urban land is scarce and valuable, when cities mandate minimum parking requirements they increase the price of every other type of urban land use. Mandating parking in cities means less space for housing and less space for small businesses. This means more expensive housing and more expensive rents for businesses. The end result is a city that quickly becomes unaffordable for regular people.

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