Is Parking to blame for part of the housing crisis in Canada?

Here’s something we don’t talk about enough: parking spaces. You see them everywhere—vast lots, half-empty garages. But what if those spaces, instead of being dead weight, could be part of the solution? Shared parking has the potential to help not just drivers, but all of us—housing, affordability, climate, walk ability. At Parker, we believe that smarter parking can mean a smarter city.

The Problem: Parking is Eating Up Space

• Canada has far more parking spots than cars. One study found 23 million light-duty vehicles but somewhere between 71 and 97 million parking spots—that’s 3.2 to 4.4 parking spots for every car.

• Downtown cores of many cities are particularly affected. In Regina, nearly half of the private land downtown is taken up by parking lots.

• Parking minimums (rules that force developers to build a certain number of parking spots with new buildings) raise housing costs. They add construction costs and “parking debt” before one person even moves in. In one example from Toronto, a 32-unit senior co-operative had to plan for 42 underground parking spaces, costing millions before building a single home.

• The amount of land devoted to parking means less land for housing, green space, walk-able neighbourhoods, and transit-oriented design.

What a Shared Parking Approach Can Do

Shared parking is a way to make the existing parking supply much more efficient, and allows us to reclaim land and reduce waste. Here’s how:

1. Free up land for housing & community Rather than building new surface lots or underground garages, existing parking assets can be shared across users (residents, businesses, commuters, visitors). Over time, with fewer parking minimums and more shared infrastructure, some of that land can be repurposed for affordable housing, green spaces, or mixed-use developments.

2. Reduce development costs & improve affordability Developers no longer need to build excess parking that sits unused much of the time. Shared parking infrastructure means lower construction and maintenance costs, which can translate into more affordable housing and commercial rents.

3. Shorter distances, better transit, and less car dependency If parking is centrally located, shared among different types of users, and paired with good transit, people are more likely to walk, cycle, or take transit. That reduces emissions, traffic congestion, and the need for oversized roads or endless parking strips.

4. Flexibility & adaptability Shared parking lots or garages can be designed to allow conversion in the future. For example, structures that accommodate parking today might be repurposed into housing, retail, or community spaces when demand shifts—or when policies change. This future-proofing is something many cities are starting to plan for.

How The Parker Shared Parking App Helps

At Parker, we see shared parking as a win-win. Here’s how we contribute:

• Matching unused parking with demand: Our app allows property owners with underutilized parking (residential, commercial) to list those spaces. Users who need parking can find them. That reduces waste and brings income to owners.

• Smart scheduling & pricing: Because shared parking knows when spaces are used and when they aren’t, we can optimize use. That means fewer spots going unused, which means less pressure to build new ones.

• Guiding policy & community: By showing how much parking capacity already exists, where demand is, and when spaces are idle, we can provide data to cities and developers. That can help change parking minimums, zoning rules, or encourage adaptive reuse.

• Encouraging multi-use and mixed-purpose development: Shared parking supports neighbourhoods where residents, businesses, and visitors share infrastructure—making better use of space and supporting more vibrant streets capes.

Big Picture Benefits

• Housing supply & affordability could improve if less land is locked up for parking, lowering barriers for affordable housing projects.

• Environmental and sustainability gains from reduced vehicle dependence, fewer impervious surfaces, less storm water runoff, lower heat island effect.

• Better urban form & quality of life: More walk-able streets, more green space, fewer parking lots as visual blights, more attractive and human-scaled development.

• Economic efficiencies: Less spending on unnecessary infrastructure; owners earning revenue from otherwise idle assets.

There’s No Zero-One Switch: But It Starts Now

We know removing parking minimums is essential, but it’s not enough on its own. What’s also needed:

• Urban design that prioritizes transit, walking, cycling.

• Flexible parking infrastructure that can evolve.

• Incentives (or regulations) making shared parking easier and more accepted.

• Community engagement: residents, property owners, businesses need to see the benefits and buy in.

We’re at a moment where cities must choose: more parking or more people. Not just in rhetoric, but in policy, design, and infrastructure. Shared parking isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s a powerful tool. It makes better use of what we already have, opens up land, lowers costs, and helps build more humane, accessible, sustainable cities.

At Parker, our mission is to unlock that parking potential—and help Canada (and beyond) make room for people, not just cars.