Minneapolis and St. Paul both eliminated parking minimums, paving the way for less parking and more housing.

In an article originally published in Minnesota Reformer and reposted on Next City, Zak Yudhishthu outlines the Twin Cities’ success with parking reform.
Since St. Paul and Minneapolis voted to eliminate minimum parking requirements from their zoning codes, Minneapolis has seen less parking built and increased housing affordability. “The reduction in average parking spot per unit obscures an equally remarkable shift in the whole distribution of parking-unit ratios in Minneapolis. While some apartment developers have still opted to build relatively high quantities of parking, there’s been a rise in apartments with very little parking, or even none at all.”
The same type of data isn’t available for St. Paul, but anecdotal evidence shows that developers are taking advantage of the new rules to reduce the number of parking spots they build. In one case, a developer changed the design of a building from 91 housing units and 88 parking spots to 114 housing units and 82 parking spots. “More homes, less parking—and no need for a parking variance.”
While these results are far from radical, they indicate a positive trend that “reflect[s] a smart change that will improve the places that we live in,” Yudhishthu writes.
FULL STORY: Ending Minimum Parking Requirements Was A Policy Win For The Twin Cities

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power
The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths
Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply
New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.

Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?
Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?

New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas
The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
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.