Minneapolis unanimously elimates parking requirements
The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously Friday to fully eliminate minimum parking requirements on new developments citywide.
Parking minimums previously required developers to include parking when they build new commercial and residential structures.
Ahead of the 13-0 vote, City Council President Lisa Bender said that the change aligns with the city's climate and green house gas emission goals outlined in the Minneapolis 2040 plan.
"Parking drives so much about the design of buildings and the cost of housing in our city ... this opens up so much possibility, especially to develop the smaller-scale projects that so many of our constituents point to as they tell us the kind of projects and housing they want to see in their communities," Bender said.
By no longer requiring expensive parking, the cost of housing can decrease and other forms of transit use will be encouraged, Bender said.
Bender noted that parking can be controversial, but thanked staff who have spent years working on parking minimums that now have broad support.
The city of St. Paul is considering a similar proposal that would reduce or eliminate their parking requirements.
Zoë Jackson covers St. Paul for the Star Tribune. She previously covered young voters through the Report For America program, supported by the Minneapolis Foundation. 612-673-7112 • @zoemjack
