Elected officials across the country are struggling to get more housing built, and the consequences of inaction are becoming increasingly severe. Rising housing costs are pushing residents out of communities, local businesses are struggling to retain workers who can no longer afford to live nearby, and homelessness rates continue to climb. Without urgent intervention, cities risk further economic stagnation and social instability.

A major barrier is parking regulations that impose unnecessary restrictions on adding new housing units. Many cities recognize this problem but struggle with how to address it effectively. Instead of making targeted, practical changes, they often embark on expensive, high-stakes zoning overhauls that take years, drain municipal resources, and frequently stall out due to political opposition. In the meantime, housing shortages persist and the cost of inaction continues to rise, further exacerbating affordability and access issues.

Dubuque, Iowa, offers a real-world example of both the problems and an effective response, as reported in the Telegraph Herald.

Small-scale developer Joe Ungs ran into the parking barrier when he tried to convert the basement of his historic rowhouse into an additional housing unit. Even though the unit met safety requirements, the city denied the request due to mandatory parking requirements. As Ungs put it, "Don’t mandate parking for everything. You’ll end up with a city full of parking ramps and no one to live there."

Dubuque is now working to reform its zoning code, including eliminating parking requirements in key neighborhoods. But the city’s development pattern, shaped by outdated zoning codes, has already led to financial strain. As Strong Towns founder Chuck Marohn explained, "Local government taxes rise higher than inflation even as services are cut. They [the city] can’t maintain parks or staffing levels for public safety." 

The problem isn’t just regulation — it’s a land-use model that prioritizes rapid, horizontal expansion over financially productive development. By restricting neighborhood evolution and requiring excessive parking, cities make it harder to create neighborhoods that generate enough revenue to cover infrastructure and services.

Meanwhile, smaller, incremental adjustments — such as eliminating parking mandates — can have an immediate impact without triggering costly legal battles or community resistance. Instead of rewriting the entire zoning code, cities should focus on simple, high-impact reforms that allow for incremental growth. Strong Towns’ Edward Erfurt outlined three key steps: "abolish parking mandates, abolish minimum lot sizes, and allow two- or three-unit developments everywhere by right." These are straightforward changes that allow housing to grow in a way that strengthens neighborhoods and local economies.

If you’re an elected official looking to reform zoning and increase housing supply, take the Strong Towns 101 course or sign up for the Local-Motive course on parking reform. Learn how small, strategic changes — not costly, yearslong rewrites — can make your city more housing-ready fast.

There are 6 easy code reforms that city officials can make to bring more housing to their communities. Strong Towns will release a toolkit to help local leaders implement these changes in February 2025. Get a sneak peek here and join our mailing list to be notified when this resource is available.

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