Delegation to Langley City Council - Eliminating Parking Minimums
James Hansen and Rainer Fahrenbacher present to Langley City Council advocating for the elimination of parking minimum requirements, showcasing examples of affordable housing built without mandatory parking and the benefits for community development.
Campaign Overview
Parking minimum requirements force developers to build a certain number of parking spaces for every housing unit or commercial space, significantly increasing construction costs and reducing housing affordability. These mandates also encourage car dependency and sprawl development patterns.
Strong Towns Langley launched this campaign to encourage Langley City to join the growing number of municipalities eliminating parking minimums, allowing market forces to determine appropriate parking supply while reducing barriers to affordable housing development.
Our presentation highlighted successful examples from other cities and demonstrated how eliminating parking minimums can enable innovative, affordable housing solutions like the 17-unit building on a single-family lot showcased in our delegation.
Key Example: 17 affordable housing units built on a single-family sized lot in New York City with no required parking (More info).
Positive Reception from Council
Mayor Nathan Pachal advised that Langley City is already updating its zoning bylaw and felt our presentation provided valuable context and encouragement for reviewing parking minimums as part of these reforms.
Campaign Timeline
TOA Legislation Impact
Provincial Transit Oriented Areas legislation Ends parking minimums within radius of future Skytrain stations, affecting approximately 25% of Langley City.
Campaign Planning
Rainer Fahrenbacher joins Strong Towns Langley as first City of Langley supporter, enabling expansion of advocacy efforts into the City.
Council Delegation
James Hansen and Rainer Fahrenbacher present to Langley City Council in the newly renovated council chambers, advocating for complete elimination of parking minimums.
Follow-up Information
Additional technical information provided to Council regarding BC Building Code changes enabling single-stair exits for innovative housing designs.
Zoning Bylaw Updates
Langley City continues updating zoning bylaws with potential inclusion of parking minimum elimination based on our advocacy and Council's positive reception.
Regional Context
Metro Vancouver Trends
- Township of Langley: Implementing cash-in-lieu parking schemes in Aldergrove and Fort Langley
- Provincial TOA Legislation: Already Endd minimums near transit stations
- Cost Impact: Metro Vancouver report shows parking spaces cost up to $230,000 each
- Housing Crisis: Parking requirements significantly increase housing costs
Campaign Innovations
What Made This Effective
- Concrete Examples: 17-unit building on single-family lot showcased practical benefits
- Local Partnership: Collaboration with Rainer Fahrenbacher expanded our reach
- Timing: Aligned with City's existing zoning bylaw update process
- Technical Follow-up: Provided BC Building Code clarifications post-presentation
Part of a National Movement
Eliminating parking minimums is one of Strong Towns' five core campaigns and represents a growing national and international movement. Cities across North America are recognizing that mandatory parking requirements:
- Increase housing costs and reduce affordability
- Encourage car dependency and sprawl development
- Reduce walkability and transit viability
- Create oversupply of parking in many areas
The Parking Reform Network tracks this movement through their Mandates Map, documenting victories in municipalities across the continent as communities prioritize housing affordability and sustainable development over car storage requirements.
Global Movement
Langley City has the opportunity to join hundreds of cities worldwide that have Endd parking minimums.
Benefits of Eliminating Parking Minimums
More Affordable Housing
Reducing construction costs by eliminating mandatory parking requirements enables more affordable housing development.
Sustainable Transportation
Enables development near transit stations and walkable areas without costly parking requirements.
Market Efficiency
Allows market forces to determine appropriate parking supply based on actual demand.
Resources and Links
Get Involved
How You Can Help
- Stay Informed: Follow Langley City's zoning bylaw update process and opportunities for public input
- Share Your Support: Let Langley City Council know you support eliminating parking minimums
- Spread Awareness: Share information about the benefits of parking reform with your community
- Join Our Movement: Help expand Strong Towns Langley's advocacy in both the City and Township
This campaign demonstrates how local advocacy can align with municipal priorities to create positive change for housing affordability and sustainable development.
Join the Movement
Help us expand parking reform advocacy throughout Metro Vancouver.
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