Unlocking Urban Potential: A Toolkit for Parking Reform
Summary
In 2025, the Parking Reform Network committed to developing a toolkit for grassroots parking reform advocates to use in their work to reduce or abolish municipal parking mandates. Parking mandates are rules that earmark parking spaces for new developments that can cause overreliance on cars and neighborhood sprawl. As cities become less walkable and public transit slows down due to heavy passenger vehicle traffic, cities have less means to tackle transport-related emissions. By providing key messages, materials, local capacity grants, and technical support, the Parking Reform Network toolkit will enable partners to chart a path to meaningful change in their local communities. By the end of 2028, Parking Reform Network aims to support local movements in 20 target cities, indirectly impacting the lives of about 1,000,000 citizens and enabling local residents to reclaim the curb.
Approach
The Parking Reform Network (PRN) will support the growing grassroots parking reform movement by building a package of tools and support based on the knowledge the organization has built after years of effective advocacy. This toolkit will consist of a website with advice on messaging, map and data products, and more. This website will detail PRN’s support offerings and provide an opportunity for interested parties to access our network of professionals and training to help grassroots organizers to become successful parking reform advocates.
The PRN will leverage existing partnerships to enhance its data-driven messaging. These partnerships will support the commitment’s mission and ensure that parking reforms stimulate additional advocacy around issues like housing shortages, budget shortfalls for public transit, and emissions goals.The commitment-maker will also identify communities where the need for parking reform is most pressing, based on the lost opportunity caused by parking mandates and the prevalence of grassroots organizing around related issues. The PRN will then work with local advocates to chart a path to meaningful reform in their communities.
The PRN Toolkit will include: 1:1 coaching on messaging and solutions for advocates and/or policymakers; power mapping and coalition-building exercises; a materials support kit (FAQs, stickers, guidebooks) ; a visit from PRN staff to support events and meetings with policymakers; modeling analysis of the potential impact the reforms would have on climate, transportation, housing, and economic goals; a local capacity grant for eligible 501(c) 3 partners; support sharing local stories about the impact of parking reform; one online workshop covering topics ranging from making effective public comments to the basics of parking management; and follow-up support and coverage after reforms.The commitment-maker will publish the outcomes of their work on their website and communications channels to increase public understand of parking reforms on cities.
Action Plan
September 2025 – December 2025: Develop the Toolkit for Parking Reform, including best practices and a messaging toolkit. Work with established partners to hone the Toolkit and strategy for identifying and working in new cities.
January 2026 – May 2026: Identify 20 cities that are ripe for parking reform based on local policy and parking oversupply. Give special consideration and prioritize cities in which reforms would have a greater social impact for equity-denied communities and/or cities in which our partner organizations may lack resources to secure support on their own. Identify and conduct outreach to local partners who are interested in advocating for parking reform.
June 2026 – September 2026: Host workshops in target cities with support from established partners and new local partners. Identify a community-specific game plan for the efforts in each city.
October 2026 – September 2028: Support parking reform movements in 20 target cities. Refine the Toolkit based on new knowledge gained from this experience.
September 2028: Project review. CTA will reflect on what was accomplished, what was learned, and where they will go from there.
Background
Parking mandates are rules that require developers to build a certain number of parking spaces for every new development, regardless of market demand or the community’s interests. First introduced in the 1950s, these rules are a major barrier to cities prioritizing sustainability and decarbonization over car use. They force cities to provide an overabundance of parking, even when low-carbon travel options would be less expensive to build and improve the quality of life for residents.
Because structured parking is more expensive to build than surface parking, mandates create a business incentive for neighborhoods to sprawl. This creates a destructive cycle where it is increasingly difficult to walk or take transit between destinations, causing more people to drive, which cities use to justify the construction of even more parking. By setting aside land for parking spaces, these mandates hinder efforts to create more walkable, amenity-rich neighborhoods better suited to an aging population.
These mandates also exacerbate the housing crisis. Building new parking spaces, especially structured parking, is expensive. Research from the Sightline Institute has shown that by requiring developers to build more parking than the market demands, parking mandates stifle housing construction and raise rents. In addition, there is underutilized parking that already exists. The Parking Reform Network’s Parking Lot Map shows that roughly 25% of developable land in America’s central cities is taken up by parking lots.
Finally, passenger vehicles are responsible for over a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA. By forcing cities to build neighborhoods that encourage car ownership and use, parking mandates stand in the way of decarbonization goals. By eliminating parking mandates, cities can build more neighborhoods that are less oriented towards passenger vehicles, opening a path for emissions reduction.
Progress Update
Partnership Opportunities
The Parking Reform Network (PRN) is seeking partners who can support their work by amplifying their message in the media, providing both professional and local expertise on zoning and related policy reforms, and connecting PRN to local leaders and communities with an interest in parking reform.,The Parking Reform Network (PRN) seeks technical and topical expertise from individuals and organizations with experience in leading local zoning and parking reforms. There are many interests and motivations behind parking reform, from residents seeking to address the housing crisis to cities aiming to strengthen their business community. A broad range of expertise, from city planners to economists, engineers, and community advocates, would strengthen the efforts. These experts can support this movement by promoting PRN’s work in the media, sharing their knowledge at a local workshop, or connecting PRN to local reformers.
In addition to knowing they helped advance a cause that will transform the way Americans build cities, PRN supporters receive access to PRN’s nationwide network of partners, PRN’s team of experts, and insights into groundbreaking research focused on shaping best practices.