For developments proposed in Toronto, a newly-introduced policy is shifting buildings away from car dependency.
In a press release issued this week, the City of Toronto announced that changes to regulations for car and bike parking spaces in new developments have been approved.
The City said that Council has officially adopted zoning bylaw amendments that will remove most requirements for new developments to produce a minimum number of parking spaces. Instead, new rules will be introduced to limit the quantity of parking spaces that can be included in a development.
In an effort to create healthy and sustainable communities, the City said that the new regulations will help to manage car dependency while offering a balance between “too much and too little parking.”
“Today, City Council took real action for a healthier, more sustainable city,” said Mayor John Tory in the press release on Wednesday. “This decision means that developers will no longer be required to build parking spaces that home buyers don’t want, making it easier for residents who live without a car to purchase a home.”
According to City of Toronto documents, the Planning and Housing Committee asked staff to review bike and car parking requirements back in January 2021 so that they better align with Toronto’s Official Plan, which includes goals to reduce private auto dependency. Prior to City Council’s approval, parking requirement recommendations for developments were considered and adopted by the Planning and Housing Committee on November 25th.
“Housing affordability is a significant challenge in Toronto. The cost of constructing and maintaining parking is significant; minimum parking requirements limits households’ ability to avoid those costs,” said the recommendations. “Further, minimum parking requirements may result in households in multi-unit residential buildings who do not own automobiles subsidizing the cost of parking for other residents of the building who do.”
Alongside the City’s climate action strategy, TransformTO and other provincial initiatives, the development parking regulations are part of an effort to meet “aggressive targets” to address environmental sustainability in Toronto. The changes to the zoning bylaws will also reduce traffic congestion while encouraging residents to use alternatives to driving, such as walking or cycling.
“This more strategic and thoughtful management of the parking supply will contribute to the City’s priorities to address the climate emergency, improve housing affordability, and encourage alternative forms of mobility for more people,” said deputy mayor and chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, Ana Bailão.
