ABSTRACT

The parking demand at new land uses with free parking then confirms the prediction that all the required spaces are "needed." Planners sometimes admit parking requirements are misguided but then say this is not a serious problem because developers, lenders, and tenants all demand even more parking spaces than the city requires. But parking requirements would be superfluous if everyone demanded more parking than dties require because developers would then provide the spaces of their own accord. Cities have two common policies about the number of parking spaces required when a building's use changes, and both limit the use of older buildings. The zoning codes in Long Beach and San Diego clearly state the number of parking spaces required when a land use changes, but some cities' zoning codes are vague or even silent on this issue, and many planners cannot explain their city's policy.