Boston Council Debates Stripping Residential Parking Minimums From Zoning Code

BOSTON — December 9, 2025 — Boston's City Council heard three hours of testimony Tuesday on a proposal to remove all residential parking minimums from the city's zoning code. Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation Chair Sharon Durkan, the lead sponsor of Docket 0161, called the mandates "a veto point to housing," citing a 2019 Metropolitan Area Planning Council study finding that 31 percent of parking spaces at Boston multi-family sites sit vacant overnight and that parking supply outstrips demand in every Boston neighborhood surveyed. Administration officials, led by Deputy Chief of Planning Devin Quirk, said they support eliminating unnecessary minimums but favor a district-by-district approach rather than a citywide elimination. Councilor Edward M. Flynn and Vice Chair John FitzGerald pushed back, warning that removing minimums without accompanying zoning guardrails could allow developers to build dense projects with no parking in lower-density neighborhoods. Abundant Housing Massachusetts presented poll data showing more than 70 percent of Boston residents support parking flexibility in new residential development, and Samuels and Associates principal Abe Menzen testified that his firm has built parking spaces at up to $150,000 per space below grade. No vote was taken; Durkan said the docket will be reintroduced in the new legislative session when the council is sworn in January 5.