flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Multifamily developers offering new car-free projects in car-centric cities

Multifamily Housing

Multifamily developers offering new car-free projects in car-centric cities

As cities loosen parking requirements, more residents opt to ditch cars.


By PETER FABRIS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | March 24, 2023
Photo: John Matychuk via Unsplash Multifamily developers offering new car-free projects in car-centric cities
Photo: John Matychuk via Unsplash

Cities in the South and Southwest have eased zoning rules with parking space mandates in recent years to allow developers to build new housing with less parking.

Building large-scale residential developments that reduce or eliminate parking yields walkable neighborhoods that appeal to a significantly sized cohort of renters, according to a report by Bloomberg. Not having to build parking structures greatly reduces the cost of such projects. An estimate of the median cost of a parking structure in the U.S. in 2021 was $25,700 per space.

Some developers say they have passed the cost savings on to renters. One told Bloomberg that they are offering apartments at $100 to $200 below the cost of comparable units offered by competitors.

New transportation options like ride-hailing services and electric bikes and e-scooters along with cities’ embrace of paths and bike lanes have made car-free living more feasible even in cities designed with widespread car ownership in mind. Higher sticker prices on cars and the high cost of car ownership generally have also steered renters away from automobile ownership.

Grubb Properties has noted a marked decline in car usage among their renters. In its Link sub-brand of multifamily projects launched in 2013, the number of car spots utilized per bedroom has dropped from 1.4 to 0.7 over the last 10 years.

Related Stories

Multifamily Housing | Sep 26, 2023

Midwest metros see greatest rent increase in September 2023

While the median monthly price of rent has increased by 0.71% in August, the year-over-year estimates show a national change of -0.06 percent.

Affordable Housing | Sep 25, 2023

3 affordable housing projects that serve as social catalysts

Trish Donnally, Associate Principal, Perkins Eastman, shares insights from three transformative affordable housing projects.

Cladding and Facade Systems | Sep 22, 2023

5 building façade products for your next multifamily project

A building's façade acts as a first impression of the contents within. For the multifamily sector, they have the potential to draw in tenants on aesthetics alone.

Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Sep 21, 2023

5 Helpful Resources for Designing & Building with Engineered Wood

From in-depth, technical publications with detailed illustrations and examples to in-person consultations with engineered wood specialists, APA offers a host of helpful resources for commercial designers and installers working with engineered wood.

MFPRO+ Blog | Sep 21, 2023

The benefits of strategic multifamily housing repositioning

With the rapid increase in new multifamily housing developments, owners of existing assets face increasing competition. As their assets age and the number of new developments increases seemingly day-by-day, developers will inevitably have to find a way to stay relevant.

Mixed-Use | Sep 20, 2023

Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize deal for a stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team announced that it has reached an agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $6.5 billion, 86-acre mixed-use development that will include a new 30,000-seat ballpark and an array of office, housing, hotel, retail, and restaurant space totaling 8 million sf.

Engineers | Sep 15, 2023

NIST investigation of Champlain Towers South collapse indicates no sinkhole

Investigators from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say they have found no evidence of underground voids on the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, according to a new NIST report. The team of investigators have studied the site’s subsurface conditions to determine if sinkholes or excessive settling of the pile foundations might have caused the collapse. 

MFPRO+ Research | Sep 11, 2023

Conversions of multifamily dwellings to ‘mansions’ leading to dwindling affordable stock

Small multifamily homes have historically provided inexpensive housing for renters and buyers, but developers have converted many of them in recent decades into larger, single-family units. This has worsened the affordable housing crisis, say researchers.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category

MFPRO+ News

World’s largest 3D printer could create entire neighborhoods

The University of Maine recently unveiled the world’s largest 3D printer said to be able to create entire neighborhoods. The machine is four times larger than a preceding model that was first tested in 2019. The older model was used to create a 600 sf single-family home made of recyclable wood fiber and bio-resin materials.




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021