Minneapolis eliminates minimum parking requirements for new developments
Minneapolis City Council unanimously voted to fully eliminate the city's minimum parking requirements on new developments.
The Council voted 13-0 Friday to remove the rules that required developers to include parking when they build new commercial and residential buildings in Minneapolis.
Now, Minneapolis is one of few cities in the United States that has eliminated minimum parking requirements, a news release says.
This move is in line with the city's climate goals in the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which the Council adopted in 2019.
“Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota,” Ward 2 Council Member and ordinance co-author Cam Gordon said in a news release. “As more people are choosing to live without owning a car and are seeking to build, buy or rent housing that may not have off-street car parking provided, it makes no sense for us to continue requiring parking spaces for cars in all new developments.
"The City has declared a climate emergency, and this ordinance backs that up with concrete action," Gordon added.
Proponents of this have said it also can help lower the cost of housing because developers will no longer be required to add expensive parking. It will also encourage more people to use other forms of transportation, and requires that bicycle parking for some projects.
“We want more people to be able to live, work, and play in Minneapolis without a car — it’s better for our climate, it’s healthier for people’s lives, and it makes Minneapolis a more affordable place to live by reducing the cost of transportation,” Ward 3 Council Member and ordinance co-author Steve Fletcher said in a statement.
“By removing minimum parking requirements and instead encouraging a variety of strategies to increase walking, biking, and transit use, we will not only reduce the cost of new housing but also spur the creation of more walkable neighborhoods.”
The City of St. Paul is considering a similar proposal.
