Parking crater
A parking crater is a sizeable area of surface parking adjacent to a large downtown. Parking craters usually form when dense areas of buildings are torn down in order to facilitate free or low-priced parking for commuters.
Examples
In Rochester, the largest parking crater extends between North Chestnut Street, Main Street, North Clinton Avenue and the Inner Loop.
Tulsa's well-known parking crater stretches roughly seven blocks from Denver to Elgin avenues and then from Eighth to 13th streets.
The largest component in Grand Rapids' parking crater is a lot located at 41 Market Ave. SW.
Remediation and prevention
The area near Seattle's Northgate transit station has been labeled as a parking crater. It is now slated to be the site of a transit-oriented development project.
Some cities have had luck legislating away the problem. In Denver, city legislation prohibiting property owners from demolishing buildings and turning them into parking lots played a drastic role in reducing the footprint of the city's parking crater. Salt Lake City has also passed an ordinance that similarly restricts demolitions related to parking.
Examples
In Rochester, the largest parking crater extends between North Chestnut Street, Main Street, North Clinton Avenue and the Inner Loop.
Tulsa's well-known parking crater stretches roughly seven blocks from Denver to Elgin avenues and then from Eighth to 13th streets.
The largest component in Grand Rapids' parking crater is a lot located at 41 Market Ave. SW.
Remediation and prevention
The area near Seattle's Northgate transit station has been labeled as a parking crater. It is now slated to be the site of a transit-oriented development project.
Some cities have had luck legislating away the problem. In Denver, city legislation prohibiting property owners from demolishing buildings and turning them into parking lots played a drastic role in reducing the footprint of the city's parking crater. Salt Lake City has also passed an ordinance that similarly restricts demolitions related to parking.
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