Do we really need all these empty parking lots? Shreveport leaders say, "No.”

SHREVEPORT, La. -- Seas of asphalt, blighted properties, and a shrinking business base -- Shreveport leaders say decades of outdated parking rules are part of the problem. Now, a major zoning change could help flip the script.

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Planning Commission voted to eliminate minimum parking requirements citywide, a reform supporters say could cut costs, attract investment and breathe life into struggling neighborhoods.

Deputy Director Stephen Jean said the old rules forced developers to spend money they didn’t need to spend.

“Minimums drive up development costs,” Jean said. “This allows the market to decide how much parking is actually needed.”

For decades, developers were required to build massive parking lots, even if businesses didn’t need them.

MPC Director