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The city wants more people in the urban core — but not more cars. That’s why planners are recommending eliminating the minimum number of parking spots required for most small new developments in the inner urban area.
This wouldn’t eliminate existing parking spaces, but it would mean not adding new ones for new small-scale development, says planner Tim Moerman.
Existing parking requirements are squeezing neighborhoods built before the Second World War by requiring parking based on 1960s standards. Parking requirements have also dictated architectural form, he said.
Here are the draft recommendations in a nutshell:
Consultations began in May, and will continue until Dec. 18 before the city starts to draft formal recommendations. There will be another round of consultations before final recommendations go to planning committee next spring.
So far, about two dozen people have responded, some urging the city to get even tougher on parking. “Yes, some people are car dependent. But if they can pay for their gasoline, they can pay for their parking,” said one resident.
Others feared the reducing parking spaces while increasing density would put pressure on street parking, or expressed concern that public transit was not sufficiently developed.
“Public transportation is not the solution for everyone,” remarked one resident from in a neighborhood near the University of Ottawa. “Students will walk a long way to save on parking charges, and so we often have lineups of cars circling the block looking for a spot.”
Business response has been ambivalent. Some said reducing the parking requirement will give small businesses an opportunity to expand. Others feared it would discourage shoppers from coming into the city centre.
Moerman says the requirement to provide parking for grocery stores has been a conundrum. Urban residents want more small groceries stores within walking distance — but stores are discouraged from opening because they must provide parking according to their floor area.
If the recommendations are passed, it will be the first major change to Ottawa parking requirements in more than 50 years — and it would spark a slow evolution in building form and urban lifestyle, said Moerman.
“We see the results in places like Montreal. A lot of cities are stuck in the kind of parking paradigm where inner cities are treated like a greenfields area.”
BY THE NUMBERS:
1 in 7: Proportion of Ottawa households that don’t have a vehicle
93 per cent: Proportion of households in Ottawa Centre that have one or no car
61 per cent: Proportion of Barrhaven households that have two or more cars
0: How many parking spaces that would be required for new low-rise apartments under the recommendations
.5: Number of parking spaces, per dwelling unit, that would be required for buildings with more than 12 units
1: Number of visitor parking spaces required for every 12 units
0: Number of parking spaces that would be required for grocery stores under 10,700 square feet in the inner urban area
0: Number of parking spaces required for businesses under 5,500 square feet.
95 per cent: Proportion of inner urban businesses that are under 5,500 square feet
jlaucius@ottawacitizen.com
查看原文...
This wouldn’t eliminate existing parking spaces, but it would mean not adding new ones for new small-scale development, says planner Tim Moerman.
Existing parking requirements are squeezing neighborhoods built before the Second World War by requiring parking based on 1960s standards. Parking requirements have also dictated architectural form, he said.
Here are the draft recommendations in a nutshell:
- The inner urban area: Small-scale development, both residential and non-residential, would be exempt from minimum parking requirements. Where parking is required for non-residential uses, like retail, it would be reduced by half.
- Mainstreet and urban mixed-use areas: Exemptions for parking spaces would be applicable to low-rise apartment buildings (under four storeys), apartments in mixed-use buildings, businesses under 5,500 square feet, grocery stores under 10,700 square feet and offices on or above the second storey.
- Near selected rapid transit stations: Most of these areas are already exempt, but this would be expanded to the area between Bayview Station and Tunney’s Pasture, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, as well as centres outside the urban area including Baseline, Blair, Billing Bridge/Confederation Heights/Heron, Orleans Town Centre and certain lands around South Keys.
- Near rapid transit stations outside of these areas: Parking rates on non-residential land would be reduced by 25 to 50 per cent.
Consultations began in May, and will continue until Dec. 18 before the city starts to draft formal recommendations. There will be another round of consultations before final recommendations go to planning committee next spring.
So far, about two dozen people have responded, some urging the city to get even tougher on parking. “Yes, some people are car dependent. But if they can pay for their gasoline, they can pay for their parking,” said one resident.
Others feared the reducing parking spaces while increasing density would put pressure on street parking, or expressed concern that public transit was not sufficiently developed.
“Public transportation is not the solution for everyone,” remarked one resident from in a neighborhood near the University of Ottawa. “Students will walk a long way to save on parking charges, and so we often have lineups of cars circling the block looking for a spot.”
Business response has been ambivalent. Some said reducing the parking requirement will give small businesses an opportunity to expand. Others feared it would discourage shoppers from coming into the city centre.
Moerman says the requirement to provide parking for grocery stores has been a conundrum. Urban residents want more small groceries stores within walking distance — but stores are discouraged from opening because they must provide parking according to their floor area.
If the recommendations are passed, it will be the first major change to Ottawa parking requirements in more than 50 years — and it would spark a slow evolution in building form and urban lifestyle, said Moerman.
“We see the results in places like Montreal. A lot of cities are stuck in the kind of parking paradigm where inner cities are treated like a greenfields area.”
BY THE NUMBERS:
1 in 7: Proportion of Ottawa households that don’t have a vehicle
93 per cent: Proportion of households in Ottawa Centre that have one or no car
61 per cent: Proportion of Barrhaven households that have two or more cars
0: How many parking spaces that would be required for new low-rise apartments under the recommendations
.5: Number of parking spaces, per dwelling unit, that would be required for buildings with more than 12 units
1: Number of visitor parking spaces required for every 12 units
0: Number of parking spaces that would be required for grocery stores under 10,700 square feet in the inner urban area
0: Number of parking spaces required for businesses under 5,500 square feet.
95 per cent: Proportion of inner urban businesses that are under 5,500 square feet
jlaucius@ottawacitizen.com
查看原文...
