Opinion
Cities should stop building for cars they no longer need
Car ownership among under-35s is falling in every major European city. Our streets have not noticed.
Cities & climate reporter
5 min read
A street redesigned with wider pavements and a protected bike lane.
In most European cities, a majority of households under 35 do not own a car. Yet we continue to build as if every new apartment needs a parking space and every street needs four lanes.
We are planning for the past.
The cost of parking
A single underground parking space can add $40,000 to the cost of a new apartment. Tenants pay for it whether they own a car or not.
Every parking space we build for a car that will never exist is a home we did not build for a person who does.
A simple start
Scrap minimum parking requirements. Let builders decide how much parking their residents need. Cities that have tried it have not descended into chaos. They have built more homes.
Priya Raman
Cities & climate reporter
Priya reports on cities, heat and the infrastructure we will need to live with both.
