Workshop Summary
Track: How We Move & Where We Live
The little known and insidious weapon that has been killing housing, incentivizing traffic and increasing climate threat in San Mateo County communities for decades is minimum parking mandates. Onerous parking regulations in most cities make it illegal or financially infeasible to build many smaller and more affordable housing types that communities desperately need. By forcing the creation of housing for cars instead of people, we collectively reinforce car dominance and travel in our communities. This accelerates climate destruction, induces more traffic, and reduces the supply of housing for people. Requiring too much housing for cars increases the cost of housing for people, increases rents, and makes some housing projects economically infeasible to construct. But thankfully, cities around the world have now shown us how to remove these misguided regulations, in ways that deliver more housing, less traffic and more beautiful neighborhoods. This workshop will explain how these pioneering cities got it done, and how San Mateo County communities can follow suit.
Format: Workshop will also open with a short game show/trivia like session led by the moderator, then continue into a visual presentation and question/answer session by the panelists.
Panelists
Elaine Uang, Board Member @ Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, Founder @ Palo Alto Forward (Moderator)
Amanda Eaken, NRDC, Director of Transportation, American Cities Climate Challenge
Patrick Siegman, Principal, Siegman & Associates
Workshop Convener: Palo Alto Forward
Housing Leadership Day will take place on October 22 from 10 AM – 2 PM. This will be virtual conference on Zoom.