ABSTRACT
Planners have made some progress in predicting the demand for parking as a function of land use, but it resembles the ancient astronomers' attempts to predict the motion of planets. Urban planners face a similar dilemma in predicting the demand for parking as a function of land use: their theory is based on false assumptions. The Planning Advisory Service's first survey of parking requirements in 1964 reported requirements for 30 different land uses. American cities put a floor under the parking supply to satisfy the peak demand for free parking, and then cap development density to limit vehicle trips. The real estate market can supply as many parking spaces as drivers are willing to pay for, but cities impose panoply of parking requirements for all land uses. The business representatives apparently saw no contradiction between providing more parking and solving the problems of congestion, air pollution, and the inadequacy of public transport.
