Under provincial legislation, the City has the ability to regulate and require parking spaces to be built with new development. These parking requirements are outlined in Part 5 of the zoning bylaw.
Depending on the scale and type of development, parking requirements can be a costly component of a project. A surface stall costs around $15,000, while an underground stall costs around $70,000. To accommodate required parking stalls, many properties construct a building on a portion of the land, with the remaining area dedicated to surface parking.
Infill development refers to small-scale projects, typically on smaller lots. An example of infill is the accessory-dwelling unit, also known as a coach home or laneway house. Parking requirements for small-scale infill development can often substantially restrict the feasibility of such projects. When infill development is located next to other transportation options, such as a transit corridor, it can be feasible to reduce or eliminate parking requirements.
The Province introduced new legislation in Fall 2023 to support small-scale, multi-unit homes. This legislation allows by-right the construction of up to four units per lot, and six units per lot when near frequent transit service. The legislation also eliminated parking requirements for these small-scale, multi-unit homes. The legislation does not modify parking requirements for other forms of infill development, such as commercial.