Description: The city of San Diego, CA is scrapping parking mandates for new apartment buildings and condos built near mass transit (specifically, built within a half-mile of a bus rapid transit station, a trolley line or two high-frequency bus routes.) At $35,000-$90,000 per parking space, eliminating a minimum number can reduce construction costs and free up more space for housing. Developers who no longer have a parking mandate must unbundle the cost of parking from the purchase price for a condominium or the rent for an apartment.

Additionally, new developments near transit must include transportation amenities. These could include bike parking, sharing, and repair stations; subsidized transit passes; or onsite businesses which don’t require travel, e.g., food, day care.

Goal: Encourage new housing near mass transit