Minimum parking requirements could be eliminated in some new Vancouver developments
Vancouver council is set to consider scrapping minimum parking requirements for new developments in some parts of the city.
Benefits of the move would include reduced emissions and getting more units of housing built quicker and at a reduced cost, according to a staff report that will be presented next week.
The proposal would eliminate requirements in the West End and the Broadway Plan area, two parts of the city staff say are well poised to handle the change, in part, because of an "oversupply" of existing off-street parking, the walkability of the communities, and a "highly-regulated" system for on-street parking.
"The elimination of minimum vehicle parking requirements can lower the cost of construction and enhance development viability, particularly for rental projects and projects on smaller or more challenging sites," the report says.
"With the improved development economics, there may be opportunities to secure additional development contributions to deliver the necessary infrastructure and amenities to support growth."
"Minimum off-street parking requirements in the parking by-law have historically been in place to ensure that all the vehicles associated with each building can park on that property and do not rely on street parking," the report notes.
In 2019, the report notes, the requirement was lifted in the downtown core. Since then Edmonton and Toronto have eliminated it city-wide, as have U.S. cities like New York, Portland and Austin.
Because most parking has to be built underground, it increases the cost of building – particularly on "sites that are small, unusually shaped, or have more challenging soil conditions," the staff report says.
"By enabling lower parking provision, those sites can become more financially attractive."
Lower construction costs can – at least in theory – translate to more affordable units and incentivize developers to build non-market rentals. The report estimates that parking can account for up to 20 per cent of a project's total cost.
The report also says that the price of a condo without a parking spot could be as much as $50,000 lower than a unit with one.
Building underground parking also increases a building's embodied emissions by between 12 and 20 per cent, the staff report says, adding that eliminating this infrastructure can "reduce carbon pollution associated with new building construction."
The report also recommends looking at other parts of the city where minimum parking requirements can be eliminated and reporting back on a plan to implement parking maximums.
No changes are being recommended to the number of required accessible, visitor or bike parking spaces.
Council will vote on the report on Nov. 15.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING 5 rescued after backcountry skiers trigger avalanche north of Whistler, B.C. RCMP say
Emergency crews rescued five people from an avalanche that struck north of Whistler, B.C., on Monday morning.
Quebec fugitive killed in Mexican resort town, RCMP say
RCMP are confirming that a fugitive, Mathieu Belanger, wanted by Quebec provincial police has died in Mexico, in what local media are calling a murder.
Bill Clinton hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says
Former President Bill Clinton was admitted Monday to Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington after developing a fever.
Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal
First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland. The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he's picking fights even before taking office.
Pioneering Métis human rights advocate Muriel Stanley Venne dies at 87
Muriel Stanley Venne, a trail-blazing Métis woman known for her Indigenous rights advocacy, has died at 87.
King Charles ends royal warrants for Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever and Cadbury chocolatiers
King Charles III has ended royal warrants for Cadbury and Unilever, which owns brands including Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s, in a blow to the household names.
Man faces murder charges in death of woman who was lit on fire in New York City subway
A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said Monday.
Canada regulator sues Rogers for alleged misleading claims about data offering
Canada's antitrust regulator said on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc, for allegedly misleading consumers about offering unlimited data under some phone plans.
Multiple OnlyFans accounts featured suspected child sex abuse, investigator reports
An experienced child exploitation investigator told Reuters he reported 26 accounts on the popular adults-only website OnlyFans to authorities, saying they appeared to contain sexual content featuring underage teen girls.