View the letter to Mayor Johnson and the Dallas City Council, May 12, 2025
Dear Mayor Johnson and members of the Dallas City Council:
Thank you for your thoughtful discussion of off-street parking requirements in Dallas and the current ordinance proposal. As architects, the first step in a site plan is to resolve and design around the required minimum parking ratios. Parking requirements often exceed the project needs, limit the potential use of the site, and can greatly increase the cost of a project.
AIA Dallas fully supports Item PH1 on Wednesday’s Council agenda. Our chapter advocates for context-sensitive urban design strategies, and we believe the proposal shaped by City Plan Commission and amended by the Economic Development Committee addresses the differences in Dallas’ diverse zoning and land use. Once adopted, the revised code will open new opportunities for historic preservation and reuse, transit-oriented development, and urban design across the city.
In 2021, AIA Dallas hosted the late Dr. Donald Shoup, FAICP, for an insightful discussion about the potential for parking reform in Dallas. At the time, Shoup expressed surprise at how complicated and antiquated Dallas’ parking codes were. He advocated strongly for simplifying our code and removing minimum parking ratios. The proposed amendment on Wednesday’s agenda provides a reasonable path forward for Dallas in line with these goals.
Thank you for considering the off-street parking code amendment. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if we or our members can provide additional information.
Sincerely,
Mattia Flabiano, AIA
Board President
Zaida Basora, FAIA
Executive Director