Special to the Sun
Boston City Councilors Sharon Durkan and Henry Santana introduced a zoning text amendment at a recent Boston City Council meeting to eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements for residential development citywide—a reform aimed at lowering housing costs and accelerating housing production.
Boston’s current zoning code requires new housing to include a fixed number of parking spaces regardless of neighborhood context or actual parking demand. These outdated requirements increase construction costs, constrain housing supply, restrict viable parcels, and ultimately drive up housing costs.
The proposal would allow developers to determine how much parking to include based on market demand, site constraints, and proximity to transit, rather than fixed zoning mandates. “Eliminating parking minimums doesn’t mean developers will stop building parking,” said Councilor Durkan. “It allows projects to respond to real demand instead of arbitrary mandates.”
“At a time when housing production remains near historic lows and costs continue to rise, Boston must use every available tool to increase affordability and expand the housing pipeline,” said Councilor Durkan.
Boston’s zoning code, at nearly 4,000 pages and with 429 distinct zoning districts, is one of the most complex in the country. “We took a comprehensive approach, starting with the base code and working through each neighborhood article to ensure this reform applies citywide,” said Councilor Durkan.
Parking reform is increasingly recognized as an effective strategy to lower development costs and unlock new housing. Boston has already eliminated parking minimums for income-restricted affordable housing, helping to reduce costs and support new development, and similar policies have been adopted in cities across the country and across the Commonwealth.
Parking minimums disproportionately burden low-income households and residents without cars, effectively requiring them to subsidize parking they do not use through higher rents.
The amendment builds on a City Council hearing convened by Councilor Durkan in December 2025, where City Councilors heard from zoning and housing experts about the effectiveness of this reform in lowering costs and increasing housing production, alongside strong public support.
With housing production slowing and costs continuing to rise, Boston faces mounting pressure to remove regulatory barriers and accelerate new development. This proposal seeks to remove a key constraint on housing supply and improve affordability.
“I am excited to build on the momentum we had in December and look forward to continuing the conversation with my colleagues to move this zoning amendment forward,” said Councilor Durkan.
“To truly address housing affordability, we need to use every tool available to us and move away from policies that make it more expensive to build and live in our city,” said Councilor Santana. “This zoning amendment is a step in the right direction. Our residents deserve affordable housing and more walkable, connected neighborhoods. I’m proud to partner with Councilor Durkan and my colleagues to help make that vision a reality.”
The zoning text amendment requires approval by a majority of the City Council to petition the Zoning Commission for final consideration.
The zoning text amendment can be found online by scanning the QR code. The Boston City Council Live Stream can be found online at boston.gov/departments/city-council/watch-boston-city-council-tv.