Smart Growth and Parking: An Analysis of Downtown Revitalization in Mid-Sized Cities

Abstract

The post-WWII period saw significant suburban expansion in North American cities. This push outward utilized the abundant available land to satisfy the demand for housing, and saw the rise in use of the personal automobile. This suburbanization resulted in the deterioration of many downtowns in mid-sized municipalities, which are now using smart growth principles to revitalize their cores, with the goals of infill development, intensification, increased transit, decreased automobile use, and pedestrian-friendly environments.

Balancing the competing goals of attracting more people downtown and making it accessible for car-dependent residents raises important questions around how cities should plan for parking. This study uses three case cities, Kitchener, Kingston and St. Catharines to help answer its central research question: what is the role of parking in downtown revitalization in mid-sized cities?

The findings of this study point to several issues that mid-size municipalities should consider when planning for parking during downtown revitalization. They should a) own or control as many of the parking assets as possible in order to be well-positioned to implement parking and other planning goals; b) align revitalization programs and goals across the municipality to avoid conflicting objectives; c) focus on transportation demand management policies that will help shift the modal split and provide viable alternatives; d) foster the creation of strong central business districts, including after-hours attractions; and e) consider maximum instead of minimum parking requirements in downtowns to avoid oversupply.