Instead of requiring acres of parking for new development, Spokane is pushing for more vibrant neighborhoods | Columns and Letters | Spokane | The Pacific Northwest Inlander

PPerhaps no code is required Since the 1940s and 1950s, off-street parking regulations have had a more fundamental impact on our cities than off-street parking regulations. Simply put, these local regulations generally require new developments to provide a certain amount of off-street parking, and they have dramatically changed the American environment, giving rise to everything from shopping malls to office parks to big-box retail stores. Over the past decade, regulatory advocates have begun to recognize the harm of these one-size-fits-all regulations and have pressured planners in some cities to relax them.

Spokane had already made parking optional for new housing, in recognition that costs are often passed on to the renter or homebuyer. But on Aug. 12, Spokane joined forward-thinking cities across the country — including Austin, Portland, San Jose and Minneapolis — in making parking optional for all remaining uses citywide, including retail, office, industrial and entertainment.

In my opinion, this measure has the potential to make Spokane a more walkable, pleasant, and business-friendly place all in one fell swoop.

ILet’s take a closer look First, let’s think about the commercial districts in our neighborhood, like Garland or South Perry. These commercial streets were generally built during the streetcar era in Spokane, and if there is off-street parking here, it is usually in lots where old buildings were torn down. Today, these are some of the most sought after in Spokane, because you can easily walk to grab a bite to eat, grab a coffee or a beer, or in some cases even do your weekly shopping. But if someone wanted to build something similar today, under the old rules, they couldn’t, because they would be required to provide one parking space for every 250 square feet of commercial space. Geometrically, that means The parking lot would take up as much land as the building itself. —It’s not exactly the walkable experience you’d expect from Garland, Hillyard or South Perry.

Now, with optional parking, an enterprising property owner could build a new urban district with a structure similar to South Perry or Garland, or expand these districts with much less distinction between old and new. That could mean more Garland across the city and eventually allow these existing districts to grow.

Next, think about your favorite neighborhood coffee shop, like Scoop or Rockwood Bakery. These small, older buildings typically served as landmarks on the streetcar network. In each case, sometime long after the streetcar closed, the buildings were reactivated and have become attractions for residents within walking distance. Despite their lack of on-site parking, the city has had rules allowing coffee shops to open and remain, but if you want to build one, you might want to consider a more modern building. new one (or if, say, the building had structural deficiencies and needed to be replaced), the same standard mentioned above would apply: one stall for every 250 square feet of space.

“…we finally saw new commercial spaces pop up in neighborhoods across the city, providing walkable amenities to more residents.”

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This means that building new commercial spaces in the neighborhood has proven impractical.

Now with optional parking, we finally got to see new neighborhood commercial spaces throughout the city, providing walkable amenities to more residents.

Finally, let’s think about a small restaurant that wants to grow its business during the summer by adding outdoor dining on the sidewalk or patio adjacent to its space. To date, unless the restaurant was located downtown, the business would have to ensure it had enough parking not only for its indoor space, but also for its abroad There is also room. If a restaurant is already “occupied” (i.e., has the minimum number of seats required for its indoor space), then it would not be allowed to add a sidewalk cafe or patio.

Now, however, with optional parking, these outdoor spaces will no longer be discouraged. Restaurants (which famously survive on a tiny 3-5% profit margin) will have more freedom to be creative and offer new experiences to their customers. That’s great for both diners and the restaurants’ bottom line!

IJust to be clear, Developers and business owners can and will continue to offer parking, but they will do so only to the extent that they are required to do so. Burdensome parking mandates make many of the things we love most about our city—walkable districts, friendly neighborhood cafes, and creative restaurants—less viable. They are hostile to business and stifle creativity. To the extent that these experiences have thrived in Spokane, they have done so because City Hall has offered some flexibility and relief.

Now, however, this freedom and flexibility is available to everyone, and we have raised another huge barrier to the kind of walkable, inclusive, economically sound, and vibrant city we hope to build. Personally, I can’t wait to see what kinds of small businesses, cafes, shops, and experiences this change will bring to Spokane.

Anthony Gill is an economic development professional, Spokane native, and writer for The Rise of Spokanean urban planning blog about ways to make our city a better place to live.