Developer Response to the Removal of Minimum Parking Requirements in Buffalo

Abstract

The widespread adoption of minimum parking requirements in American zoning codes has resulted in off-street parking provision as a compulsory part of the land development process. A robust academic literature on the effects of minimum parking requirements has identified that parking prioritization induces more driving and results in harmful consequences such as traffic congestion, air pollution, and sprawl. On the adoption of its 2017 Unified Development Ordinance (Green Code), Buffalo (NY) became the first major city in the United States to implement the complete removal of minimum parking requirements. The new zoning code sans parking minimums offers real estate developers greater flexibility on new real estate development projects because off-street parking lots can be reduced in size or removed altogether from developments, and land previously reserved for required off-street parking can now be used in other ways on development sites. To better understand the development responses to parking deregulation in Buffalo, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews with 10 real estate development and lending professionals that have been involved in new development projects since 2017. Three takeaway messages emerged. First, when minimum parking requirements are removed, parcels amid high-walkability and multimodal travel opportunities are more desirable for development. Second, lower parking ratios are useful for infill development projects and contribute to filling existing gaps in the urban fabric. Third, the removal of parking requirements enables developers to benefit from increased feasibility on projects, both in relation to financial viability and the ability to configure developments on smaller urban parcels.