Parking

There was a report the other day about changing parking requirements on apartment construction that is going on everywhere. So I did a little research.

Seems there is suppose to be 1 parking spot for every 1,000 ft. of apartment space. I couldn’t find the city requirement and didn’t want to read all the studies, reports, committees, environmental testing and all the rest that goes into getting approval for building a three story high rise apartment, but here are some questions.

This is an old city. It was incorporated in 1742 and became an independent city after the recent unpleasantness. Factories and warehouses were built along the river and housing was constructed on the plateau above the water. Some lived above their business and parking was reserved for wagons. Some lived further away with bigger plots of land for parking carriages, wagons and horses. Row housing stacked on top of each other offered little space for livestock (the mobility of the day) except around back.

As automobiles appeared there was no place to park them. If there were room on the curb, one auto would take up the agreed border space in front of each address.  Public transportation of trolleys and later buses were the most popular method for downtown.

Then the highway system was built and everyone wanted to car to drive across the land. Suburbia struck with the white flight and tiny houses were popping up on old farmland. Part of the draw to the suburbs was driveways and garages. With all that parking space, families could buy more than one car.

Strip malls appeared along the highway system so people wouldn’t have to go downtown to the two department stores and search for a parking space. The malls were constructed on massive blacktops with white stripes to indicate parking spaces for all the customers. There might be a half-mile walk to the store but there was plenty of space for everyone. The problem was remembering where the car was parked?

Then the invention of the high-rise apartment/condo became a style. These were great for college dorms and no additional property were necessary to use than removal of one or two old buildings. The problem was where to park?

Some architects designed underground parking that would hopefully drain in the rain and have enough lighting for security. Other designs attached a multi-rise parking deck for the occupants. Having a space available to park would be another fee.

Back to where I started, when I read the city was considering fewer parking space be required for apartment building due to easy access to public transport and bike lanes, I wondered? Would there be fewer cars on the rode? Would fewer cars (and trucks) be purchased due to no space to park them?

On my little plot of land in one of the first suburbs there is space to park two small cars or one giant limo in front of my house. Unfortunately my neighbors have all purchased at least two cars and most now have a truck. Their mobile machines are scattered on both sides of the streets without room to squeeze in a pizza delivery or Amazon truck.

Maybe the city will allow me to rent out the space?