Today, WalkUP Roslindale submitted a formal letter to the Boston City Council urging adoption of the proposed zoning amendment to eliminate minimum off‑street parking requirements for residential development.
Our letter explains why parking mandates are an outdated planning tool that force new housing to dedicate scarce land and resources to car storage, regardless of whether future residents need those spaces. Removing these requirements will allow housing to be designed based on actual resident needs and neighborhood context. Developers will still be free to include parking where it makes sense — the amendment simply removes a one‑size‑fits‑all mandate.
Roslindale’s experience under Squares + Streets zoning shows this. Even without required parking, proposed projects continue to include it when appropriate. At 4487 Washington Street, the proposal includes 28 homes and 12 parking spaces. At 4301 Washington Street, the proposal includes 16 homes and 7 spaces. These examples demonstrate that eliminating parking minimums does not eliminate parking — it just allows more thoughtful, context‑sensitive decisions.
You can read our full letter here (PDF): [WalkUP Roslindale Support Letter – Parking Minimums Text Amendment]
The City Council’s Planning, Development & Transportation Committee will hold its hearing on the amendment TOMORROW:
Wednesday, June 4 — 10:00 AM
In person at City Hall or virtually via Zoom.
There are three ways to make your voice heard:
- Sign the Better Parking for Boston petition — signatures from every neighborhood strengthen the case, this petition will continue beyond this hearing.
- Testify at the hearing — Wednesday June 4, 10 AM, in person or virtually via Zoom. Two minutes, you can read from notes. Not sure what to say? There is a tool to help with that.
- Write to your city councilor — a short personal note from a constituent carries real weight. This online tool drafts a letter tailored to your councilor and other key City officials in about 3 minutes.