Across the country, cities are rethinking rules that force developers to overbuild parking—and Missouri should follow suit. A new study from Denver shows that eliminating off-street parking minimums boosts housing production, including affordable units. By relaxing these mandates, Missouri communities can free up land, cut costs, and enable more housing.
Researchers at the University of Denver found that parking mandates significantly limited multifamily housing. Removing them could increase housing output by about 12.5%—roughly 460 additional units per year in Denver. Each mandated space often adds tens of thousands of dollars in construction costs, inflating rents or home prices. Give developers flexibility, and more money goes into housing, not concrete.
The economics are straightforward. Requiring parking regardless of demand drives up costs, reduces flexibility, and wastes land. A one-size-fits-all rule—one space per unit, no matter the neighborhood—locks inefficiency into the system.
Missouri has already started down this road. St. Louis exempts its Central Business District from parking minimums, showing that alternatives work here too. Still, much of the state relies on rigid, outdated rules rooted in mid-20th-century, car-first planning. These no longer reflect how people live or commute.
What would change if Missouri relaxed parking mandates statewide? Development would get cheaper. Land would shift toward housing instead of empty lots. Supply would grow—and housing would also become more affordable. Cities would also reduce red tape, giving builders room to respond to actual demand.
Some concerns are valid: What about spillover parking? Transit deserts? Residents who rely on cars? Eliminating mandates isn’t a ban on parking—it simply lets developers decide. Local governments can still manage parking through pricing, permits, or optional caps, without locking in costly minimums.
Missouri cities should audit zoning codes, identify outdated requirements, and revise them accordingly, while monitoring neighborhood effects.
In St. Louis, Kansas City, and beyond, this change could be a cornerstone of affordable housing policy. It would cut regulatory burdens, shift spending toward housing, and allow the market to work.
Denver shows it can be done. Missouri should take the cue: Scrap parking minimums, unlock housing supply, and let developers meet real demand.
