We need your help to make this vision a reality. By sending an email to Nanaimo City Council, you can show your support for parking reform and help shape the future of our city. Use the form below to send a message to Nanaimo City Council expressing your support for the proposed motions. You can choose from a selection of template letters or write your own message.
You can also email [email protected] directly as well.
Nanaimo is at a pivotal moment—today’s decisions on parking mandates will determine the future of urban development, livability, and sustainability in our city. As highlighted in this paper, the existing parking requirements have widespread negative impacts on housing affordability, urban design, municipal budgets, and environmental well-being.
Nanaimo has already solved the housing crisis… for cars. Strong Towns Nanaimo & friends are asking Nanaimo City Council and Staff to put people over parking.
- 🚗 What The Heck Are Mandatory Parking Requirements?
- 🛠️ Our Proposal For Parking Reform In Nanaimo
- 🌎 See Where Parking Reform Has Already Happened
- 📃 Words From Community Supporters Our Proposal
- 🙌 Read Letters Of Support For Our Proposal
What The Heck Are Mandatory Parking Requirements And Why Are They So Bad?
Parking mandates are regulations that require developers to provide a certain number of parking spaces for each new building they construct. These requirements are intended to ensure that there is enough parking available for residents, customers, and employees. However, they often result in an overabundance of parking, which can have negative consequences for urban development, housing affordability, and the environment. Municipal parking requirements were initially implemented in a time when personal automobiles were assumed to be the best and primary mode of transportation.
“The right to access every building in a city by private motorcar in an age when everyone owns such a vehicle, is actually the right to destroy the city.” — Lewis Mumford, 1961
We have learned much about equity, finance, and the environment since those days and it is clear—parking minimums are a subsidy to the automobile which comes as a detriment to nearly everyone in society, including those who drive them. Parking minimums were created with the specific intent to alleviate on-street parking congestion. Ultimately, however, these regulations have resulted in an overabundance of parking infrastructure, leading to a host of urban planning challenges. By embracing reform, we have the opportunity to create a more equitable, economically robust, and environmentally sustainable Nanaimo. The time to act is now, and with the support of policymakers, planners, and the community, we can build a city that truly reflects our shared values and aspirations.
Our contribution to Park(ing) Day 2024. Strong Towns Nanaimo transformed a single parking space into an outdoor living room, complete with a TV, seating, board games, Twister, and more! (Strong Towns Nanaimo)
Our Proposal For Parking Reform In Nanaimo
Two draft proposals for parking reform are being brought to the Governance and Priorities Committee. The two proposals are:
- Motion to change the word “required” to “recommended” in Section 7.3.3 Off-Street Parking Regulations Bylaw 2018 No. 7266, OR…
- Motion to expand section 7.3.(i) of the Off-Street Parking Regulations Bylaw 2018 No. 7266.03. (Transit- Oriented Areas) to cover all reliable and regular bus stops (defined by BC Transit as services of “at least 30 minutes at peak commute times.”) Source: RDN Transit Future Plan 2022.
These motions independently seek to rectify the adverse impacts of our current parking provisions and foster sustainable, equitable, beautiful, and prosperous urban development in our beloved city.
We have allowed our city to be dominated by auto-oriented uses, leading to unpleasant, dangerous, and unproductive urban spaces. Our off-street parking bylaws have been built to favour stip malls over vibrant urban areas. (Google Maps)
See Where Parking Reform Has Already Happened
While to many Canadians and residents of Nanaimo, market-controlled parking might seem unthinkable, Parking reform is anything but new. Below is a map of all cities in North America that have removed their parking mandates or relaxed their parking requirements city-wide.
Parking reform isn’t fringe–momentum is building across North America for change. Canadian cities as large as Toronto, O.N. (population 2,794,356) to towns as small as Lunenburg, N.S. (population 2,263) have discovered the potential that eliminating parking mandates holds.
Hear From Groups In Nanaimo And Beyond That Support Our Proposal For Parking Reform
We are proud to have the support of dozens of organizations and individuals from Nanaimo and across North America. We are grateful for their support and look forward to working with them to make our vision a reality. Here are some quotes from groups that have endorsed our proposal:
“Adam Smith invented the invisible hand, but city planners seem to prefer the hiding hand. Minimum parking requirements hide the cost of parking in higher prices for everything else. Most of us don’t know it, but we all pay for free parking.” — Donald Shoup
“Parking requirements limit the feasibility of Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Homes by reducing available space for liveable areas. The result of this is unnecessarily inflated housing costs. By providing flexibility around parking, the city allows both industry and homebuyers to make their own decisions on the tradeoffs between parking, living space, and affordability.” — Small Housing BC
“Parking minimums add significant expense to new housing. Surface parking requires homebuilders to purchase more land or build fewer units, while underground parking can cost as much as $120k per stall. These costs are passed down to the eventual owners orrenters of these buildings,regardless of their vehicle storage needs.” — More Homes Canada
“Strong Towns Nanaimo has identified a profound disincentive for infill development and we support their efforts to recommend changes to this anachronistic bylaw.” — Masthead Properties
“While vast amounts of free parking might seem like a benefit, it’s not free at all. The cost is borne by everyone, and it’s a cost that your city, especially in its current budgetary situation, can ill afford.” — Charles Marohn, Strong Towns
We’ve met with developers, architects, planners, and other stakeholders to discuss the benefits of parking reform. We’ve also hosted community events to raise awareness about the issue and build support for our proposal. We are confident that with the support of these groups and individuals, we can make parking reform a reality in Nanaimo. Builders, business owners and residents alike all agree: it’s time to put people over parking.
Read Letters Of Support For Our Proposal
We have received letters of support from a variety of organizations and individuals who believe in the importance of parking reform. Some of these letters are included below:
- 🚌 Urban Thrive - Submitted 2024-10-17
- 🏙️ Happy Cities - Submitted 2024-10-16
- 🏠 Small Housing BC - Submitted 2024-09-20
- 🏙️ More Homes Canada - Submitted 2024-09-14
- 👑 Donald Shoup - Submitted 2024-09-12
- 🚲 Strong Towns (US) - Submitted 2024-09-11
- 🛠️ Masthead Properties - Submitted 2024-09-10
We are grateful for the support of these organizations and look forward to working with them to make parking reform a reality in Nanaimo. Note that these letters are just a small sample of the many organizations and individuals who have endorsed our proposal. We are proud to have the support of so many diverse groups and individuals who share our vision for a more sustainable, equitable, and vibrant Nanaimo. However, not all letters of support are public, and some organizations have requested that their support remain private.