Letter to the Editor
I just wanted to let you know that I appreciated the Editor’s Note at the end of Chris Rauber’s article about parking regulations (see July-August issue of this newsletter.) I do a lot of climate activism directed at transportation. While weakening policies that require ample parking for new construction have been controversial, this practice does prioritize car-driving as opposed to what we really need now, which is to get people out of their cars and into buses and onto bikes.
Of course, as you said, requiring parking also raises housing costs, contributing to the problem of people who can’t afford to purchase a home. I’m glad you pointed people toward Grabar’s book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Changed the World. Most people have never actually thought about the societal costs of this American institution.
For more on the issues surrounding infill and parking, read a synopsis of the now-in-effect Residential Infill Project zoning by Rich Burton in the August edition of Concordia News. In addition to a good summary of what to expect in new development projects in our neighborhoods, he cites some resources links. Find it at tinyurl.com/chr352hk on page 6.
Joe, married to Kathleen, is a proud grandfather and retired rural family physician; he also worked for nine years as a palliative doctor at Legacy Emanuel. The child of a diplomat, he lived in several countries in his youth. Climate activism with the Metro Climate Action Team, cycling, gardening, and yoga keep him busy.