San Jose, Calif., recently became the largest U.S. city to strike down minimum parking requirements for new housing development.
The city reversed zoning devised in the 1950s that reputedly gave it the worst sprawl of parking space in northern California. The council abolished standards that required new single-family homes to have two covered parking spots. The old standard also mandated restaurants provide one spot for every 40 sf or 2.5 dining room seats, whichever were greater.
In its first significant shift in parking rules since 1965, the council also aims to promote other modes of transportation with new bicycle parking mandates, including requiring one bike for every two lanes at bowling alleys and at least one bicycle spot for every 800 sf at restaurants.
The new rules do not prevent developers from building parking lots in the city, but allows them to “rightsize” parking for new developments as they deem appropriate. The action does not remove any current parking.
Related Stories
| Apr 19, 2012
KTGY Group’s Arista Uptown Apartments in Broomfield, Colo. completed
First of eight buildings highlights unique amenities.
| Apr 6, 2012
Batson-Cook breaks ground on hotel adjacent to Infantry Museum & Fort Benning
The four-story, 65,000-ft property will feature 102 hotel rooms, including 14 studio suites.
| Mar 27, 2012
Precast concrete used for affordable, sustainable housing in New York
Largest affordable housing development in the nation will provide housing for close to 500,000 people.
| Mar 19, 2012
Mixed-use project redefines Midtown District in Plantation, Fla.
Stiles Construction is building the residential complex, which is one of Broward County’s first multifamily rental communities designed to achieve LEED certification from the USGBC.
| Mar 6, 2012
Country’s first Green House home for veterans completed
Residences at VA Danville to provide community-centered housing for military veterans.
| Mar 1, 2012
Reconstruction of L.A.’s Dunbar Hotel underway
Withee Malcolm Architects’ designs for the project include the complete renovation of the Dunbar Hotel and the Somerville Apartments I and II.
| Feb 15, 2012
NAHB sees gradual improvement in multifamily sales for boomers
However, since the conditions of the current overall housing market are limiting their ability to sell their existing homes, this market is not recovering as quickly as might have been expected.
| Feb 10, 2012
Atlanta Housing Authority taps Johnson Controls to improve public housing efficiency
Energy-efficiency program to improve 13 senior residential care facilities and save nearly $18 million.
| Feb 8, 2012
Nauset completes addition and renovation for Winchester senior living community
Theater, library, fitness center, and bistro enhance facility.
| Jan 3, 2012
Rental Renaissance, The Rebirth of the Apartment Market
Across much of the U.S., apartment rents are rising, vacancy rates are falling. In just about every major urban area, new multifamily rental projects and major renovations are coming online. It may be too soon to pronounce the rental market fully recovered, but the trend is promising.