Vancouver to reform vehicle parking requirements in development permit process

Underground parking (Alexander Steamaze/Shutterstock)

Changes could be coming to the policies that regulate how many vehicle parking stalls must be provided in new building proposals in Vancouver.

Earlier today, during a public meeting, City of Vancouver staff told Vancouver City Council they are working on overhauling off-street parking requirements in the development permitting process for future large buildings.

The details are limited at this time, but City staff note the municipal government will move to “stop detailed reviews of individual parking spaces within private development.”

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As well, the municipality will “substantially simplify requirements/remove conditions” for transportation demand management (TDM) plans, which is a strategy where developers improve the usability of non-private car transportation options in exchange for the City’s permission to provide fewer vehicle parking stalls within their buildings.

Examples of TDM measures include providing building residents with a free public transit pass over a certain period of time (typically years) and setting aside capital and operational funding for a car share program within the building.

Additionally, vehicle parking/loading requirements will be updated to “modernize the City’s loading space requirements and reduce the need for case-by-case relaxations.”

There are growing calls by some advocates and local politicians for new buildings to incorporate a smaller vehicle parking supply, especially if they are located near public transit services. Reduced parking also lowers construction costs, as excavations are shallower and less concrete is used for fewer underground parking levels. However, a potential impact of reduced off-street parking is increased demand for on-street, curbside parking.

New rental housing projects already incorporate fewer vehicle parking stalls than market strata projects.

In September 2020, the previous makeup of City Council directed City staff to study the potential elimination of minimum vehicle parking requirements for new buildings.

City staff state they will be returning to City Council in early 2024 on their proposal to change off-street parking requirements and transportation demand management plans in the development permit conditions.

As well, the City is also looking to streamline the development permit conditions for rainwater management design, with such conditions moved to the Vancouver Building Bylaw. This is expected to reduce review times from 56 weeks to three weeks.

Other potential reforms target the utilities key plan (better align with applicant timing) and latecomer agreements (shift from development permit to building permit to allow for more time for design work).

All of this is part of the City’s ongoing work to reduce its complicated regulations with development and land use, which slow development and add to the cost of building housing. Moreover, many regulations are decades old and irrelevant.

Earlier today, City staff also revealed a new online dynamic digital tool platform allowing anyone to check what can be built on a specific lot based on existing policies and providing an automated plan checking from uploading a design.

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