VANCOUVER — The City of Vancouver has announced the removal of parking minimum requirements for new developments in the West End and Broadway Plan areas, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
This policy shift marks a significant change from traditional norms where new developments were mandated to provide a certain number of parking spaces.
Mirroring the approach taken in Vancouver’s downtown area since 2019, this decision aims to adapt urban planning to the dense, walkable nature of these neighbourhoods, where reliance on personal vehicles is lower, a release explains.
Developers, while exempt from parking minimums, are still required to include accessible parking for people with disabilities, visitor parking, bike parking and loading spaces.
The motivation behind this new policy is to lower development barriers, especially for housing projects, by enabling the use of challenging sites and streamlining application processes. This move also aligns with Vancouver’s efforts to increase affordability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting down on underground construction.
In tandem with this policy shift, developers in the designated areas must submit a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan with their permit applications.
TDM is a critical component of the city’s strategy to encourage walking, cycling and transit use, aligning with the Climate Emergency Action Plan’s goal of having two-thirds of all city trips made by walking, biking, or transit by 2030.
The policy’s effectiveness will be reviewed in 2024, with further considerations for on-street parking regulation adjustments in residential and commercial areas. Feedback and requests regarding parking regulations can be made through the city’s 311 service.
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