LEARN ABOUT parking REFORM

  • Origin of the Problem

    Denver's parking minimums are based on outdated national guidelines that overestimate parking needs. These standards don't reflect local conditions and should be updated to allow business owners and homebuilders to set parking requirements based on current market demand.

  • The Impact of Minimum Parking Requirements

    Rigid parking standards often overestimate needs, leading to oversized lots that waste land and hinder the development of vibrant, mixed-use communities.

  • The Affordability Crisis

    Excessive parking requirements in Denver raise housing costs and limit affordable units. Reducing these mandates would free up space for more homes, addressing the shortage and lowering rents.

  • A Better Solution for Denver

    Studies show that walkable neighborhoods boost local business activity. Removing costly parking requirements would free up land for business growth, create jobs, and enhance neighborhood vibrancy, while also supporting affordable housing and a more sustainable, walkable Denver.

Origin of the problem

Parking requirements in Denver are based on outdated, national guidelines that aren't grounded in local or scientific studies.

Business owners and homebuilders should have the freedom to determine their own parking needs based on current market conditions, not national standards that don't reflect our community's unique needs.

Historically, cities adopted parking minimums starting in the 1950s, using broad national guidelines that lacked scientific accuracy.

These guidelines were designed around suburban areas with large parking lots and limited transit use, leading to overestimating actual parking needs.

The Impact of Parking Minimums

The rigid one-size-fits-all parking standards restrict the ability of business

owners to make informed decisions about their own parking needs.

Most commercial parking requirements are still based on floor area, but this often results in parking spaces that are vastly overestimated.

As Parking Requirements are inflated, we end up having way more parking than we need.

As a result, parking lots can sometimes end up larger than the buildings they are meant to serve. This not only wastes valuable land but also hinders the development of more vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods.

The affordability crisis

Denver is in urgent need of more affordable housing.

However, unnecessary parking requirements are contributing to higher housing costs.

The city needs to build four times the current number of affordable housing units to meet the growing demand.

By reducing parking mandates, homebuilders can use saved space and resources to construct more housing units.

These mandates unnecessarily increase the cost of new homes.

In fact, parking can increase rent by up to 17% of a single unit and can prevent smaller, more affordable housing units from being built.

a better solution

Studies show that when people can walk to local businesses, they visit more frequently and spend more each month.

Removing costly parking requirements would free up high-demand land for business growth, creating more jobs and economic opportunities while also improving neighborhood vibrancy.