‘Paved Paradise’ Review: Why Downtown Is All Parked Up

Parking policy has shaped urban centers and incentivized driving. This book covers the missteps and neglect of parking policy through history.

May 2, 2023 . 3:26 AM

1 min read

Parking is the primary determinant of the way the place you live looks, feels, and functions.
Mid-20th-century consensus that the best way for cities to compete with booming suburbs was to make it easier to park downtown.
Parking-minimum laws passed by virtually every U.S. jurisdiction in the 1950s and ’60s.
Abundant parking incentivized driving and discouraged use of public transit.
Disruptors helming parking-related startups, grassroots activists and some farsighted government officials are working to reverse this course.