Minus Minimums

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Cities today face considerable land use, environmental, and economic challenges resulting from policies prioritizing automobiles and requiring ample off-street parking. In an effort to influence travel behavior and reduce parking supply, Buffalo (NY) adopted the Green Code in 2017. This zoning code reform repealed minimum parking requirements citywide and provided a "natural experiment" to investigate effects of parking deregulation among 36 major developments in its first 2 years. Our research produced two key findings. First, 47% of major developments included fewer parking spaces than previously permissible, suggesting earlier minimum parking requirements may have been excessive. Second, mixed-use developments introduced 53% fewer parking spaces than would have been required by earlier minimum requirements as developers readily took advantage of the newfound possibility to include less off-street parking. Aggregate parking spaces among single-use projects exceeded the earlier minimum requirements, suggesting developers of such projects were less motivated to deviate from accepted practices in determining the parking supply for urban development. Takeaway for practice: Eliminating parking minimums can reduce unnecessary parking supply and encourage development constrained by excessive minimum requirements. Land use, location, and transportation demand initiatives affect the quantity of off-street parking supplied in response to market conditions. Our findings suggest mixed-use developers are likely to take advantage of the ability to provide less parking in highly accessible locations. Though many developers quickly pivot to the newfound possibilities of providing fewer parking spaces, others continue to meet earlier requirements. Cities of all types stand to benefit from undoing constraining parking policies of the past and allowing developers to transform parking lots to "higher uses."

Developer Response to the Removal of Minimum Parking Requirements in Buffalo

“…Perhaps the most significant of these interventions is the elimination of MPRs from municipal zoning codes. On the adoption of its Green Code in 2017, Buffalo became the first major city in the United States to implement the removal of MPRs citywide ( 1 , 6 ).…”

“…A representative from each company affiliated with a real estate development project identified in the previous research study ( 6 ) was invited to interview. All of the 26 developers represented in the Hess and Rehler article were initially invited (constituting the universe of invited participants) ( 6 ). Of those, six (23%) developers responded and consented to be interviewed for this research study.…”

“…Of those, six (23%) developers responded and consented to be interviewed for this research study. The developers interviewed represent 25% of the 32 properties studied in Hess and Rehler ( 6 ). The interviewees ranged from project managers to company presidents and spanned a broad range of development companies including small family-run development companies, national affordable housing developers, and large corporate developers headquartered in Buffalo.…”

“…Parking supply reductions were most commonly observed in mixed-use developments following the Green Code’s parking reform. The study revealed that 47% of major developments provide less parking than previously mandated and that these developments generally include 21% fewer spaces than was formerly permitted ( 6 ).…”

“…This research project provides an extension of a previous study of parking provision change after the adoption of Buffalo’s Unified Development Ordinance (known as the Green Code) ( 6 ). The previous article examined data from the City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning (via developer- or property owner-submitted project proposals) to quantify the response to MPR removal.…”