Open Option Parking

A graphic of a city with "Parking. It's all about space" text.

Homeowners and businesses can now choose how much on-site parking to provide on their properties.

At the June 23, 2020 City Council Public Hearing (item 3.22), City Council voted to enable Open Option Parking city-wide effective July 2, 2020. Open Option Parking means that minimum on-site parking requirements have been removed from Edmonton’s Zoning Bylaw, allowing developers, homeowners and businesses to decide how much on-site parking to provide on their properties based on their particular operations, activities or lifestyle.

Removing parking minimums doesn’t necessarily mean that no parking will be provided. Businesses and homeowners know their parking needs best and have an interest in ensuring they are met, making this approach more likely to result in the “right amount” of parking.

Under the new rules, barrier-free (accessible) parking will continue to be provided at comparable rates to before and bicycle parking requirements have increased. Maximum parking requirements have been retained downtown, and expanded in Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and main street areas.

Design requirements for both surface and underground parking facilities have also been enhanced, and opportunities created for businesses and homeowners to share parking or lease out parking spaces to nearby properties. The City will monitor the impacts of shared parking and report back to City Council in early 2021.

While the change will be transformative, it will also be gradual. Only coming into effect as homes and businesses are slowly developed or redeveloped across the city in the decades ahead.

Curbside Management Strategy

The introduction of Open Option Parking was recognized as having potential impacts to on-street curbside parking demand and utilization patterns over time. As a result, the City has developed a Curbside Management Strategy, which seeks to more equitably and strategically manage and diversify how we use our public curbside space.

Canadian Institute of Planners Award

The Canadian Institute of Planners awarded the City’s Open Option Parking project with an Award for Planning Excellence. “Edmonton’s Open Option Parking strategy can transform the City and inspire other Canadian communities to look at similar changes,” said a statement from the Jurors. “Crowd-sourcing data collection, and the effort to make parking discussions interesting and relevant, were both key factors that stood out. This project will positively impact the sustainability of Edmonton’s future, while creating a more vibrant livable community.”

Learn more about the award.

Why We Reviewed the Rules

Parking is a powerful, but often hidden, force that shapes how our communities are designed and influences every aspect of how people live, work, and move around.

Many of the zoning rules that determined the minimum number of on-site parking spaces homes and businesses were required to have were put in place in the 1970s. Edmonton has changed considerably since then, and the rules needed to be updated to make sure they made sense for Edmonton today and the future Edmonton envisioned by ConnectEdmonton and the City Plan.

Click on the dots in the infographic below to learn more.

An interactive image with hotspot links for various parking options

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Economical

Image for economical parking options

Providing parking can be expensive, creating cost barriers to owning a business and make housing more expensive.

Abundant

The amount of parking we provide influences how people choose to travel.

Once parking is provided on-site at a home or business, that parking is static and can’t easily be adjusted so we need to get that number right. The amount of parking we provide influences how people choose to get around in Edmonton. We’re looking ahead, planning for Edmonton’s future to support changes in the way people are choosing to get around.

Walkable

Consideration of parking lots must include how they remove walkable areas from neighbourhoods.

How parking is provided and managed plays a powerful role in shaping how our communities look. Large parking lots take up a lot of space, making neighbourhoods less compact and walkable.

Economical + Abundant

Image for economical and abundant parking

Businesses and homes are located further apart, and neighbourhoods less walkable. Commutes are long and you have to drive farther for errands or entertainment. The construction cost of new homes and businesses is relatively low. This scenario would be similar to an area like South Edmonton Common or a condo complex with a large surface parking lot.

Walkable + Economical

Hotspot image for economical and walkable parking options

Some businesses have parking and some businesses do not. Different households have different numbers of parking spaces depending on their needs. Businesses and homes are located closer together and neighbourhoods are more walkable. Commutes are moderate and errands can be done by walking or short drives. The cost of construction for new homes and businesses is moderate. This scenario would be similar to the Whyte Avenue or 124 Street area.

Abundant + Walkable

Hotspot image for abundant and walkable parking options

Businesses and homes are located close together and neighbourhoods are very walkable. The cost of construction for new homes and businesses is high, leading to more expensive homes and higher cost of services at businesses. Commutes are typically short and errands can be done by walking or short drives. This scenario would be similar to Downtown or the Oliver neighbourhood.

Phase 4

City Council Decision (Summer 2020)

On January 28, 2020, City Council directed Administration to proceed with the preparation of Zoning Bylaw changes to enable Open Option Parking in one step across the city. Open Option Parking removes minimum parking requirements from the Zoning Bylaw and allows homeowners and businesses to decide how much on-site parking to provide on their properties based on their particular operations, activities or lifestyle.

These changes were approved by City Council at the June 23, 2020 Public Hearing (item 3.22) and came into effect on July 2, 2020. Edmontonians and stakeholders were given a final opportunity to express their opinions about the proposed changes directly with members of Council by registering to speak at the Public Hearing.

Overview of proposed changes
Highlights of the proposed changes include, but are not limited, to:

Removing minimum parking requirements from the Zoning Bylaw
Retaining parking maximums downtown and expanding existing maximums in Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and main street areas
Enabling shared parking between sites
Retaining barrier free (accessible) parking requirements at rates comparable to today
Expanding bicycle parking requirements
Enhancing design requirements for parking facilities

The changes to on-site parking for homes and businesses will happen gradually over time as new buildings are built and properties in the city are redeveloped. The City will monitor the impacts of shared parking and report back to Council in early 2021.

Curbside Management Strategy

Phase 3

Urban Planning Committee (Spring 2019 and Winter 2020)

City Administration presented a report to the May 7, 2019 Urban Planning Committee outlining options for regulating on-site parking, and the results of the research and public input on each of these options.

At that meeting, Committee directed administration to advance the implementation of Open Option Parking (where homeowners and businesses can decide how much on-site parking to provide), as well as the opportunities identified in Attachment 6 of the report to improve the current on-site parking regulatory structure. These changes included, but were not limited to, introducing the ability for businesses and homes to share on-site parking spaces and improving the design requirements for parking lots.

Committee also directed Administration to return with a report that provided:

Implementation scenarios that consider a one-step and/or phased approach to changing the on-site parking regulations
A comprehensive review of the on-street parking implications of changing on-site parking rules, and
Further research on predictors of parking demand

This report was presented to Urban Planning Committee on January 28, 2020 (items 6.2 and 6.3). Committee directed Administration to bring Zoning Bylaw amendments for Scenario One (Full one-step implementation of Open Option Parking), to the June 23, 2020 City Council Public Hearing (Phase 4).

Phase 2

Phase 2A - Parking Trade Offs & Outcomes (Fall 2018)

When it comes to parking, there are often trade-offs between the amount of available parking, the cost of homes and businesses, and the ability to walk to destinations in your neighbourhood.

Edmontonians had an opportunity to provide input on these trade-offs through a series of focus groups, an online survey, and pop-up events. Feedback received was used to help inform different options for regulating how much on-site parking is provided with new homes and businesses.

A technical study looking at how existing parking in Edmonton is currently used was also completed as part of Phase 1.

View the public engagement results and technical study.

Phase 2B - Draft Regulation Options (Winter 2019)

The technical studies, policy, best practice research, and public input on parking priorities and tradeoffs from Phase 2A informed a draft recommendation report released in February 2019 outlining three different options for regulating on-site parking. Edmontonians had the chance to provide input on the draft report through an online survey, which was summarized in a What We Heard report.

Based on the feedback, City Administration made revisions to the draft report. The revised report was presented at the May 7, 2019 Urban Planning Committee meeting (Phase 3).

Phase 1

Collecting and Analyzing Data (Winter - Summer 2018)

To ensure that any changes to on-site parking required for new homes and businesses were made using an evidence-based and data-driven approach, the City conducted extensive research.

This research included:

Conducting a technical study on how existing on-site parking for homes and businesses in Edmonton is being used
Analyzing how that usage aligns with current City policy and parking needs
Reviewing parking best practices and academic research
Researching the experience and policies of other municipalities

View the parking supply and demand study results.

Curbside Management Strategy

Canadian Institute of Planners Award

Why We Reviewed the Rules

Economical

Abundant

Walkable

Economical + Abundant

Walkable + Economical

Abundant + Walkable

Parking Regulation Options

Assessment of Options

Public Engagement

Public Engagement Activities, History and Reports

Project History

Phase 4

City Council Decision (Summer 2020)

Curbside Management Strategy

Phase 3

Phase 3

Urban Planning Committee (Spring 2019 and Winter 2020)

Phase 2

Phase 2

Phase 2A - Parking Trade Offs & Outcomes (Fall 2018)

Phase 2B - Draft Regulation Options (Winter 2019)

Phase 1

Phase 1

Collecting and Analyzing Data (Winter - Summer 2018)

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