Webinar
While municipalities across the US look for innovative and equitable ways of moving people, parking remains an issue. In collaboration with the Summit Foundation, ITDP released the Ideas for Accelerating Parking Reform in the United States, a publication which looks at parking through a campaign filter. The recommendations, based on a synthesis of perspectives from leading experts, focus on helping reform-minded leaders make progress given that local municipalities hold much of the power for parking reform.
This two-part roundtable series moderated by Martha Roskowski, lead author of the publication, will explore the intersecting opportunities and threats, strategy and tactics, decision points and trade-offs in updating parking policies.
Watch Part 2 of this series – Parking in the Space Between Buildings >>
The parking problem, whether real or perceived, in US cities is that insufficient space exists to park near destinations in the public right of way. Many municipalities adopted parking regulations decades ago that force developers to build off-street spaces as a solution to this issue. More recent thinking has cities re-visiting what now appear as outdated regulations. This discussion focused on local efforts to reform off-street parking policies as a means to address the threat of climate change, affordable housing needs, historic injustice, equity concerns and economic development opportunities.
Martha has been involved in transportation for nearly three decades. At PeopleForBikes, she championed protected bike lanes, helping cities to build them and adding them to the U.S. design toolkit. At the City of Boulder, she oversaw the launch of the local bike share system. Under her leadership, the America Bikes campaign helped create the federal Safe Routes to School program. She was recently deemed the “godmother of Complete Streets” for her role in launching the movement. Recently, she started a consulting firm to help agencies and organizations develop strategies to advance sustainable mobility and equitable access.
Alex Baca is the policy manager at Greater Greater Washington. Previously the engagement director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth and the general manager of Cuyahoga County’s bikesharing system, she has also worked in journalism, bike advocacy, architecture, construction, and transportation in DC, San Francisco, and Cleveland. She has written about all of the above for CityLab, Slate, Vox, Washington City Paper, and other publications.
Lisa Bender is the President of the Minneapolis City Council and Council Member for Ward 10. Throughout her two terms in office Council President Bender has been a leader on transportation issues, including championing the City’s adoption of a Complete Streets Policy, including a $400 million investment in complete streets, a Vision Zero commitment and adoption of the City’s new Transportation Action Plan.
Council President Bender lead the City Council adoption of the Minneapolis 2040 Plan which will guide growth and public investment for the next several decades with a focus on race equity and fighting climate change. She also played a leadership role in the adoption of the Midwest’s first $15 local minimum wage, a significant shift in housing policy and community-led approaches to public safety. President Bender earned a Master’s Degree in City Planning from UC Berkeley and, prior to taking office, had over a decade of experience in shaping transportation and land use policies to make cities more equitable and sustainable.