As expected, the Seattle City Council announced yesterday that it would reduce the number of parking spaces that developers are required to include in new projects in some of the city’s densest neighborhoods—part of the city’s new "tall, skinny, and livable" plan. This is an innovation that we’ve been excited about for years. Kudos to councilmembers Peter Steinbrueck and Richard Conlin for their work on the issue.
Slashing parking requirements frees up urban space for other amenities such as parks and plazas; encourages drivers to switch to other modes of transport; and reduces gas use (and the money we send out of the region to pay for it).
Let’s hope the Council also pursues some of the complementary steps they discussed, such as more bicycle parking in developments and incentives for providing car-share spaces.
