Public Par(king): Worcester’s Past, Present, and Future of Parking

Parking is king. For as long as there have been cars, it has been a subject of conversation in Worcester. This report, Part 2 of a two part Bureau series on parking, covers the history of parking in Worcester, followed by a discussion of minimum parking requirements in the City’s zoning, as well as information about car ownership in Worcester, and an analysis of the ways that parking may impose visible and invisible costs on residents and commuters. Parking is a key part of modern life; understanding and re-thinking how parking impacts that life is a worthwhile exercise, and becomes an increasingly important one if Worcester wants to reach its housing, sustainability, and other future goals.