New parking regulations would make the city more walkable and improve housing affordability by reducing car dependency, encouraging infill development, shrinking the size of parking garages, and improving pedestrian safety and comfort.
Public hearing Tuesday, March 10th
1:30 pm at City Hall, 26th Floor
(or Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84530222968)
What it does
Check out City Hall’s web site for all of the details.
The new parking regulations are a big, important step towards reducing car dependence in Kansas City, making it easier for residents to thrive without needing to drive everywhere. Minimum parking requirements would be eliminated in the core city and reduced in the rest of the city.
- Housing costs can be reduced by building smaller parking garages, especially for the growing number of residents who do not own cars by choice or by circumstance
- Infill development on vacant lots can be easier and less expensive
- Pedestrian safety and comfort can be improved by shrinking parking garages and lots, reducing the number of driveways, and reducing the number large blank walls adjacent to sidewalks
- New development would no longer be required to build more parking than needed
- Existing and historic buildings can be more easily re-used without unrealistic parking requirements
- Businesses are no longer incentivised to tear down homes and other buildings to build surface parking lots.
- Under-utilized surface parking lots can be developed into more housing for residents
- The natural environment and stormwater runoff can be improved by using less land for surface parking lots
- Bike parking requirements would get a much needed update, the first since they were originally established more than 15 years ago.
Map of parking garages (green) and surface lots (yellow) showing how much of the city’s land is dedicated to parking. Image: The Transit Guy on Threads.
Parking maximums
Many developers build more parking than City Hall currently requires. Sometimes they build a lot more parking. Often that is because their banks and lenders push for them to do so. Parking maximums cap how many parking spaces can be built and prevents burdening the land and residents with unneeded parking.
Small, locally owned businesses like retail shops and restaurants frequently have trouble getting permits to open because the city currently requires too much off-street parking. Especially if they are trying to rehab or reuse existing buildings that don’t have attached parking. In many cases those businesses need to demolish adjacent buildings, including homes, to create more parking lots.
Apartment residents often face higher rents to offset the cost of overbuilt parking garages, even if they do not own a car. Letting developers build smaller garages can help lower rents.
Elsewhere
KC is not first in reforming parking. Other cities like Buffalo and Minneapolis have already implemented parking reform. Paired with housing reforms like eliminating exclusive single family zoning, cities are making progress in building more housing and reducing housing costs.
Applicability
Zoning and development code regulations like this apply to new development projects. Existing developments and businesses are not required to make any changes to their current parking situation. The new requirements would also apply for a “change of use” – e.g. an office building is converted to apartments.
Actions you can take
- Testify at the City Council’s Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee on March 10, 1:30 pm on the 26th Floor of City Hall. (or virtually at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84530222968)
- Review letters of support attached to ordinance language
- Contact the committee members and copy your own council members