It's much easier to talk the parking talk than to walk the parking walk. Philadelphia, however, is showing how to actually replace overabundant parking with walkable housing developments.
Angie Schmitt shares "some great news out of Center City Philadelphia: Housing is replacing parking."
"The number of off-street parking spaces in downtown Philly and nearby neighborhoods declined 7 percent between 2000 and 2015, from about 50,000 to 46,400," according to Schmitt. At the same time, parking occupancy rates have also fallen.
"What’s happening in Philadelphia is evidence of the 'virtuous cycle' that results from reducing dependence on cars," explains Schmitt. "Making parking less convenient is leading to greater walkability."
Schmitt then goes on to details the policies that helped Philadelphia achieve that virtuous cycle, including details on the city's approach to its parking tax, parking minimums, tax abatements, and property tax assessments.
FULL STORY: How Philadelphia Fixed Parking Craters Using Tax Policy
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service