Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal | January 22, 2024 | wbjournal.com R E A L E S T A T E Parking paralysis Developers, activists, and city officials say parking requirements are blocking needed development BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Staff Writer A t first glance, it may seem like common sense that new housing and commercial developments should be required by city planners to have a minimum amount of parking spots to accommodate new residents and customers. Worcester, like many cities, has zoning bylaws requiring a specific amount of accessory off-street parking for new developments. But with concerns over a lack of affordable housing dominating headlines, communities across the country are starting to reconsider the issue of mandatory parking minimums. From Anchorage, Alaska to Austin, Texas, cities are starting to eliminate parking minimums after determining these often decades-old zoning requirements are having a detrimental effect on growth and may require more parking than is actually needed. As Worcester looks to increase its housing stock, a reexamination of parking bylaws is gearing up to be a key aspect of zoning reform. The rise of the strip mall In the fight against parking minimums, progressive activ- ists are pushing an agenda of climate reform and elimi- nating dependency on cars, while conservatives take issue with the idea of bureaucrats putting up potential arbitrary barriers to economic growth, said Tony Jordan, president of the Oregon-based nonprofit Parking Reform Network, which was founded in 1998. "ese are anti-business, anti-economic growth policies. ey are a drag on economic development because they reduce flexibil- ity for business owners and entrepreneurs," he said. e concept of parking minimums came into prom- inence around the 1950s, when the post-war automo- tive boom led to increased concerns about parking in urban areas, said Jordan. Eager to accommodate the rise of the automobile, municipalities tore down disused buildings in urban cores to make way for surface lots or garages. Planners oen took things one step further, implementing zoning ordi- nances mandating a certain amount of minimum spots for new developments. Tony Jordan, president of Parking Reform Network A study from the Parking Reform Network found 35% of Worcester's downtown is devoted to parking. Alta on The Row, a new luxury apartment complex under construction on Mulberry Street in Worcester, includes a five- story parking garage. PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT IMAGE | COURTESY OF PARKING REFORM NETWORK

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