The Austin City Council on Thursday voted to do away with parking requirements, which have been mandated in city code for years.
The push was spearheaded by Councilman Zo Qadri.
“Let me be clear: This in no way will eliminate a single parking space in Austin,” Qadri said. “It simply lets the market and private property owners decide how much space for storing cars they wish to provide.”
Councilwoman Natasha Harper-Madison said she thinks it’s time to change the thinking surrounding single-occupant vehicles, shifting away from cars in lieu of walking, biking, or public transit.
“We kickoff a broader conversation about how we not only change our code, but also change our culture,” she said. “I won’t go too far into it, but I think we need to change our culture around cars.”
The resolution gives city staff until December 31 to bring back a code amendment to the city council that removes parking requirements citywide.
