Small Towns, Big Impact: Bowling Green, OH
Smart Growth America partnered with T-Mobile to support Bowling Green’s Parklet Project, converting would-be parking space into appealing dining and retail space.
Smart Growth America partnered with T-Mobile to support Bowling Green’s Parklet Project, converting would-be parking space into appealing dining and retail space.
Transportation is the largest energy-related source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and emissions reduction models consistently show that electrification is essential to getting us to zero transportation emissions. These models also show that EVs don’t get us there fast enough.
Hundreds of cities around the world hold PARK(ing) Day on the third Friday in September where dozens of parking spots that are usually reserved for stationary, empty cars are transformed into places for people. Here’s a look at a few of the “parklets” scattered around our office in Washington, DC and what their creators had to say about them.
Many cities and towns recognize that their parking requirements and regulations are outdated, but they struggle in taking the first step toward reform. This process often begins by auditing the existing supply and understanding how it’s being used, which can be a major undertaking. On July 12, 2017, State Smart Transportation Initiative hosted a webinar … Continued
Introducing a new weekly newsletter all about the best practices in transit-oriented development.
TODresources.org is home to a trove of information about equitable transit-oriented development projects from across the country. These resources showcase the best, most innovate approaches to TOD nationwide. We want to better highlight those strategies and help more people across the country use them in the year to come.
On Tuesday we released Empty Spaces, new research looking at the real parking needed at five transit-oriented developments (TODs). The report, produced in partnership the University of Utah, looks at how much less parking is required at TOD than standard engineering guidelines suggest, and how many fewer vehicle trips are generated than those guidelines estimate.
Many communities choose to dedicate at least some of the land near transit stations for parking. The question is, how much?
Research has shown development near transit stations requires less parking than other kinds of development. Yet most engineering guidelines are unclear exactly how much less parking is needed. Oversupply of parking takes up valuable land, raises the cost of development, and misses a key opportunity. Building the right amount of parking can help communities get … Continued
On Friday California Governor Jerry Brown signed into a law a bill that will help create more affordable housing by easing parking requirements for developers.
The legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 744, Planning and Zoning: Density Bonus, will allow developers to request reduced minimum parking requirements within affordable housing projects. It also amends the parking ratio for affordable housing and senior housing to require no more the 0.5 parking spaces per unit, and amends the ratio for special needs housing to require no more than 0.3 parking spaces per unit.
Developers seeking to use these ratios must meet established guidelines regarding percentage of affordable units in the project, distance and access to a transit stop, availability of paratransit services, and access to fixed bus route services. The emphasis on transit access will bolster other efforts to make public transportation and active transportation options safer, more convenient, and more accessible for low-income families.
A road through Līhu’e, HI. Photo by Melissa Emmons via Flickr
The County of Kaua‘i is working to revitalize the Līhu‘e Town Core and position Rice Street as the main street of Kaua‘i. The County’s success, however, largely depends on managing parking in the area. To that end, County officials met in Līhu‘e with representatives from Smart Growth America on May 6 and 7, 2014 as part of a free, grant-funded technical assistance program.
“We are grateful to Smart Growth America for partnering with our team so that we can involve the entire community in this effort,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. “Creating better parking solutions for the Līhu‘e’s Town Core is important to the revitalization of this area. We’ll use lessons learned and apply them to other parts of our island. It’s a great win-win for all concerned.”