Automotive & Transportation
Mon, August 11, 2025
[ Today @ 07:36 AM ]: Time Out
[ Today @ 03:36 AM ]: KTVU
[ Today @ 01:36 AM ]: Dayton Daily News
Sun, August 10, 2025
[ Yesterday Evening ]: New York Post
[ Yesterday Evening ]: Chicago Tribune
[ Yesterday Evening ]: Pennsylvania Capital-Star
[ Yesterday Evening ]: WDTN Dayton
[ Yesterday Afternoon ]: rnz
[ Yesterday Morning ]: KETV Omaha
[ Yesterday Morning ]: The Daily Star
Sat, August 9, 2025
[ Last Saturday ]: Toronto Star
[ Last Saturday ]: WSOC
[ Last Saturday ]: WHBF Davenport
[ Last Saturday ]: FOX 32
[ Last Saturday ]: Chicago Tribune
[ Last Saturday ]: Wyoming News
[ Last Saturday ]: Morning Call PA
[ Last Saturday ]: People
Fri, August 8, 2025
[ Last Friday ]: WHIO
[ Last Friday ]: WFMZ-TV
[ Last Friday ]: Philadelphia Inquirer
[ Last Friday ]: Channel NewsAsia Singapore
[ Last Friday ]: The Spokesman-Review
[ Last Friday ]: moneycontrol.com
[ Last Friday ]: Action News Jax
[ Last Friday ]: LancasterOnline
[ Last Friday ]: Cleveland.com
[ Last Friday ]: New York Post
[ Last Friday ]: The Citizen
[ Last Friday ]: Chicago Sun-Times
[ Last Friday ]: WDTN Dayton
[ Last Friday ]: WSFA
[ Last Friday ]: The Financial Express
[ Last Friday ]: Penn Live
[ Last Friday ]: East Bay Times
[ Last Friday ]: the-sun.com
[ Last Friday ]: The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
[ Last Friday ]: Cleveland.com
[ Last Friday ]: WSMV
[ Last Friday ]: WDRB
Wed, August 6, 2025
[ Last Wednesday ]: 7News Miami
[ Last Wednesday ]: ThePrint
[ Last Wednesday ]: phillyvoice.com
[ Last Wednesday ]: New York Post
[ Last Wednesday ]: Cleveland.com
[ Last Wednesday ]: Honolulu Star-Advertiser
[ Last Wednesday ]: moneycontrol.com
Tue, August 5, 2025
[ Last Tuesday ]: WFMZ-TV
[ Last Tuesday ]: Chicago Tribune
[ Last Tuesday ]: Fox 13
[ Last Tuesday ]: rediff.com
[ Last Tuesday ]: Business Today
[ Last Tuesday ]: WDTN Dayton
Mon, August 4, 2025
[ Last Monday ]: WFMZ-TV
[ Last Monday ]: Dayton Daily News
[ Last Monday ]: WILX-TV
[ Mon, Aug 04th ]: KETV Omaha
[ Mon, Aug 04th ]: Philadelphia Inquirer
[ Mon, Aug 04th ]: Chicago Tribune
Sun, August 3, 2025
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: WDRB
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: WTOP News
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: WFMZ-TV
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: Men's Journal
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: The Spokesman-Review
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: Orange County Register
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: ThePrint
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: The Straits Times
[ Sun, Aug 03rd ]: Local 12 WKRC Cincinnati
Sat, August 2, 2025
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: Time Out
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: Asia One
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: FOX 32
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: KETV Omaha
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: WSMV
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: Associated Press
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: Buffalo News
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: The New Zealand Herald
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: ThePrint
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: East Bay Times
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: Toronto Star
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: The Spokesman-Review
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: WSOC
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: WSFA
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: Cleveland.com
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: LancasterOnline
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: sportskeeda.com
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: news4sanantonio
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: Channel NewsAsia Singapore
[ Sat, Aug 02nd ]: Chicago Tribune
Thu, July 31, 2025
[ Thu, Jul 31st ]: WDTN Dayton
[ Thu, Jul 31st ]: WHIO
[ Thu, Jul 31st ]: The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
[ Thu, Jul 31st ]: New York Post
Wed, July 30, 2025
[ Wed, Jul 30th ]: New York Post
[ Wed, Jul 30th ]: WDTN Dayton
[ Wed, Jul 30th ]: Staten Island Advance
[ Wed, Jul 30th ]: Action News Jax
[ Wed, Jul 30th ]: WHBF Davenport
[ Wed, Jul 30th ]: Paul Tan
[ Wed, Jul 30th ]: Forbes
Tue, July 29, 2025
[ Tue, Jul 29th ]: WSOC
[ Tue, Jul 29th ]: WSFA
[ Tue, Jul 29th ]: East Bay Times
[ Tue, Jul 29th ]: Moneywise
[ Tue, Jul 29th ]: San Francisco Examiner
[ Tue, Jul 29th ]: WSMV
[ Tue, Jul 29th ]: NBC Chicago
[ Tue, Jul 29th ]: The New Indian Express
Mon, July 28, 2025
[ Mon, Jul 28th ]: Associated Press
[ Mon, Jul 28th ]: The New Zealand Herald
[ Mon, Jul 28th ]: Lowyat.net
[ Mon, Jul 28th ]: NY Daily News
[ Mon, Jul 28th ]: Chicago Tribune
[ Mon, Jul 28th ]: WSMV
[ Mon, Jul 28th ]: Philadelphia Inquirer
[ Mon, Jul 28th ]: Southern Living
Sun, July 27, 2025
[ Sun, Jul 27th ]: The Hans India
[ Sun, Jul 27th ]: Chicago Tribune
Fri, July 25, 2025
[ Fri, Jul 25th ]: The Hans India
[ Fri, Jul 25th ]: Channel NewsAsia Singapore
[ Fri, Jul 25th ]: Philadelphia Inquirer
[ Fri, Jul 25th ]: moneycontrol.com
[ Fri, Jul 25th ]: KETV Omaha
Thu, July 24, 2025
[ Thu, Jul 24th ]: Chicago Sun-Times
[ Thu, Jul 24th ]: The New Indian Express
Wed, July 23, 2025
[ Wed, Jul 23rd ]: Orange County Register
[ Wed, Jul 23rd ]: The Straits Times
[ Wed, Jul 23rd ]: The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Tue, July 22, 2025
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: WSFA
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: NY Daily News
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: CBS News
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: WFMZ-TV
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: USA TODAY
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: Dog Time
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: rediff.com
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: moneycontrol.com
[ Tue, Jul 22nd ]: The New Indian Express
Mon, July 21, 2025
[ Mon, Jul 21st ]: The News International
[ Mon, Jul 21st ]: The Hans India
[ Mon, Jul 21st ]: Time Out
[ Mon, Jul 21st ]: New York Post
[ Mon, Jul 21st ]: World Socialist Web Site
Sat, July 19, 2025
[ Sat, Jul 19th ]: Chicago Sun-Times
[ Sat, Jul 19th ]: FOX 32
[ Sat, Jul 19th ]: The Hans India
[ Sat, Jul 19th ]: yahoo.com
Fri, July 18, 2025
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: The Straits Times
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: CBS News
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: Action News Jax
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: Asia One
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: The Irish News
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: ABC 7 Chicago
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: Time Out
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: The Hans India
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: WDRB
[ Fri, Jul 18th ]: WMBB Panama City
Thu, July 17, 2025
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: LancasterOnline
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Aaron Neefham
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Daily Express
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Orange County Register
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: phillyvoice.com
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: WHIO
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Chattanooga Times Free Press
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: The Daily Star
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Chicago Sun-Times
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Chicago Tribune
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Los Angeles Times Opinion
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Los Angeles Daily News
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Reason.com
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: NBC Chicago
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: 7News Miami
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: KIRO-TV
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: KTLA
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: KFVS12
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: WDIO
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: DNA India
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: NBC New York
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: The Oakland Press
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: East Bay Times
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: The Hill
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Action News Jax
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Fox 23
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: motorbiscuit
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: The Florida Times-Union
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: The Hans India
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: The Messenger
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: The Columbian
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Press-Telegram
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: moneycontrol.com
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: South Bend Tribune
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Valley News Live
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: MarketWatch
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Sports Illustrated
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: BBC
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: Bravo
[ Thu, Jul 17th ]: yahoo.com
Parking minimums eliminated in much of Chicago, change aimed at adding housing density
//automotive-transportation.news-articles.net/co .. cago-change-aimed-at-adding-housing-density.html
Published in Automotive and Transportation on Monday, August 4th 2025 at 4:12 GMT by Chicago Tribune🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Builders putting residences near a CTA train or bus line will soon no longer need special approval to completely forgo parking spaces.
Chicago City Council Votes to Eliminate Parking Minimums, Paving Way for Denser, More Affordable Housing
In a landmark decision aimed at tackling the city's escalating housing crisis, the Chicago City Council has voted to eliminate mandatory parking minimums for new residential and commercial developments across the entire city. The ordinance, passed on July 28, 2025, represents a bold shift in urban planning policy, prioritizing housing density over car-centric infrastructure. Proponents argue that this move will unlock thousands of new housing units, reduce construction costs, and foster more walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods. Critics, however, express concerns about potential parking shortages and increased congestion in already dense areas.
The policy change comes amid growing recognition that traditional parking requirements have long hindered affordable housing development. For decades, Chicago's zoning code has mandated that builders provide a minimum number of off-street parking spaces based on the size and type of project—for instance, one space per residential unit in many zones. These rules, rooted in mid-20th-century suburban ideals, were intended to accommodate the rise of automobile ownership. But in a city like Chicago, with its robust public transit system including the L trains, buses, and expanding bike lanes, such mandates have often forced developers to dedicate valuable land to parking garages or lots, inflating costs and limiting the number of homes that can be built on a given site.
Advocates for the reform point to data showing how parking minimums exacerbate housing shortages. In high-demand neighborhoods like Logan Square, Wicker Park, and the Near North Side, developers have frequently had to scale back projects or abandon them altogether due to the expense of building parking structures, which can add tens of thousands of dollars per unit. A recent study by the Metropolitan Planning Council estimated that eliminating these requirements could lower development costs by up to 20%, making it feasible to construct more affordable apartments and condos. "This is about reclaiming space for people, not cars," said Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, a key sponsor of the bill. "We've got a housing emergency on our hands—rents are skyrocketing, and families are being pushed out. By ditching outdated parking rules, we're opening the door to denser, more vibrant communities."
The ordinance builds on incremental steps Chicago has taken in recent years. In 2019, the city relaxed parking minimums near transit hubs, allowing transit-oriented developments (TODs) to reduce or eliminate parking if they were within a half-mile of a train station. That policy led to a surge in high-rise apartments along corridors like Milwaukee Avenue and in areas served by the Blue Line. The new citywide elimination expands this approach dramatically, applying to all zones except for a few industrial districts where large vehicle access remains essential. Notably, the rule doesn't prohibit parking; developers can still include it if market demand justifies the cost. But by removing the mandate, the city is signaling a preference for market-driven decisions over one-size-fits-all regulations.
Environmental benefits are another major selling point. Urban planners highlight how excess parking encourages car dependency, contributing to traffic congestion, air pollution, and urban sprawl. With Chicago committed to its Climate Action Plan, which targets a 62% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, reducing paved surfaces for parking aligns with goals to promote sustainable transportation. "Fewer parking lots mean more green space, better stormwater management, and less heat island effect," explained Sarah White, an urban ecologist with the Chicago Environmental Network. The policy is expected to complement ongoing investments in public transit, such as the Red Line extension to the Far South Side and enhancements to the Metra system.
Reactions to the vote have been mixed, reflecting the diverse interests at play in Chicago's urban landscape. Housing advocates and progressive groups like the Chicago Housing Initiative celebrated the decision as a victory for equity. "This levels the playing field for low-income communities," said Maria Gonzalez, director of the group. "In neighborhoods like Pilsen and Little Village, where public transit is a lifeline, forcing expensive parking on new buildings just drives up rents and displaces residents." Developers, too, largely welcomed the change, with the Illinois Real Estate Association predicting a boom in multifamily housing starts. "We've been waiting for this," said developer Tom Wilson of Windy City Builders. "It removes a huge barrier, allowing us to focus on creating homes rather than asphalt."
On the other side, some residents and neighborhood associations voiced apprehension. In car-reliant suburbs-within-the-city like those on the Northwest and Southwest Sides, concerns about street parking overflow dominated discussions. "What happens when new apartments go up without any parking? Our streets will become a nightmare," argued resident Karen Thompson during public hearings. Aldermen from these wards pushed for amendments, such as requiring parking in certain low-transit areas, but those were ultimately rejected in favor of a uniform policy. Traffic experts, however, downplay these fears, citing studies from cities like Seattle and Portland, where similar reforms haven't led to widespread chaos. Instead, they've often resulted in higher transit ridership and more efficient land use.
Chicago isn't alone in this pivot. The move follows a national trend, with cities like Minneapolis becoming the first major U.S. city to scrap parking minimums in 2017, followed by San Francisco, Austin, and Buffalo. In Minneapolis, the policy has correlated with a 25% increase in housing permits and a drop in average rents in affected areas. Experts suggest Chicago could see similar outcomes, potentially adding 10,000 to 20,000 new units over the next decade. "This is part of a broader rethinking of American cities," noted urban policy analyst David Roberts. "Post-pandemic, with remote work and e-commerce reducing the need for daily commutes, the old parking paradigm just doesn't hold up."
Implementation won't be immediate; the ordinance includes a six-month grace period for projects already in the pipeline, and city officials plan to monitor impacts through annual reports. The Department of Planning and Development will also launch a public education campaign to address resident concerns, including incentives for shared mobility options like car-sharing programs and bike-sharing expansions. Additionally, the city is exploring complementary measures, such as residential parking permits in high-density zones to prevent spillover parking.
Looking ahead, this policy could reshape Chicago's skyline and streetscape. Imagine bustling mixed-use developments rising along underutilized corridors, with ground-floor retail, upper-level apartments, and minimal surface parking. It could accelerate the transformation of areas like the West Loop, already a hotbed for adaptive reuse of old warehouses into lofts. But challenges remain: ensuring that the benefits reach underserved communities, preventing gentrification, and integrating the policy with broader affordability tools like inclusionary zoning.
In essence, eliminating parking minimums is more than a technical tweak—it's a philosophical shift toward a more inclusive, sustainable Chicago. As the city grapples with population growth, economic inequality, and climate change, this ordinance positions housing as a priority over convenience for drivers. Whether it delivers on its promises will depend on execution, but for now, it's a step toward a denser, more dynamic urban future. As one council member put it during the vote: "Chicago has always been a city of big shoulders. Now, it's time to build for people, not just their cars."
(Word count: 1,048)
Read the Full Chicago Tribune Article at:
[ https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/28/parking-minimums-eliminated-chicago-housing-density/ ]