In the 1940s-1950s, cities across the U.S. started embedding minimum parking requirements into zoning ordinances, mandating that new developments include a set number of off-street parking spaces based on use and square footage.

The City of Los Angeles was among the first major U.S. cities to mandate off-street parking requirements in its zoning code. The 1946 Los Angeles Zoning Plan introduced provisions requiring new developments to include a minimum number of off-street parking spaces tailored to the building's use and size.

These mandatory parking lots were part of the urban planning zeitgeist of the time. But even as cities reverse the trend in favor of more walkable city centers, it’s worth remembering that the architects of mandatory parking requirements got at least one thing right.

They understood that a city’s commercial and industrial buildings require a great deal of urban infrastructure resources, yet are also uniquely capable of providing resources that benefit both city residents and themselves.

Therefore, in the late 60s, a dramatic mandatory step started rolling out regarding commercial building permitting across the country: a demand to acquire underground car storage capabilities, or........

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