Southern California Planning Congress
Event Summary – July 2013
Parking Reform Made Easy
After the initial meet-and-greet at Taix French Restaurant, Dr. Richard Willson, Chair of Cal Poly Pomona’s Department of Urban & Regional Planning, presented at dinner his recently released book, entitled Parking Reform Made Easy.
His presentation focused on the reform ideas he discusses in the book, and the basis for how changes in parking codes can be beneficial to the environment. The typical regional shopping mall and office complex were discussed in terms of requirements and typical land dedicated to parking in such developments.
Within commercial districts especially, with multiple on-street and off-street parking options, searching for a space even with an oversupply of parking spaces wastes valuable land, damages the environment, and actually deters development and revitalization due to land costs.
He also discussed the outdated nature of minimum parking requirements, along with the potential to reform them to support planning goals to create vibrant cities. Dr. Willson’s talk also focused on the process of codifying regulations and how to work with stakeholders to avoid political conflicts.
After his presentation, Dr. Willson signed copies of his book . He also brought along to display some of his oil paintings, done in the plein air style, all based on Los Angeles urban environments and transportation.
We thank Rick for the presentation and discussion, both highly valuable to local agency planners and consultants alike, and wish him well with distribution of his new book!