 | The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (May 2023) |
Parking mandates or parking requirements are policy decisions, usually taken by municipal governments, which require new developments to provide a particular number of parking spaces.
Parking minimums were first enacted in 1950s America during the post-war construction boom with the intention of preventing street parking from becoming overcrowded. Requirements vary based on the type and usage of the building, with some typically being one parking spot per: apartment; 300 square feet of retail or commercial space; 100 square feet of restaurant dining area; two hospital beds; or five seats in a church's pews.
Parking minimums have shifted the cost of parking spaces from drivers to building developers, making them a hidden cost ($28,000 for non-garage, $56,000 for garage spaces, excluding the cost of land) that thereby increases the cost of rents by nearly 20%, and has contributed to America's housing affordability problem. As a consequence, local and state governments have increasingly in recent years reduced or eliminated parking minimums or enacting parking maximums for new developments.[1][2]