Chicago Politics and Urbanism Daily
Chicago’s Reform Fights: Parking Mandates and Ward Power
Friday, June 12, 2026 · 7 min
Chicago housing reform takes aim at parking mandates near transit, while a corruption analysis ties City Council scandals to unchecked aldermanic power — two reminders that process rules can decide who builds, who pays, and who gets heard.
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Show notes
Chicago housing reform takes aim at parking mandates near transit, while a corruption analysis ties City Council scandals to unchecked aldermanic power — two reminders that process rules can decide who builds, who pays, and who gets heard.
In this episode
- Step Back — Chicago wants to loosen parking rules to make housing easier to build — but if people already feel like parking is scarce, how do parking mandates actually affect rents, construction costs, and who gets to live near transit?
Background sources
- New report: No such thing as free parking - UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies — UCLA ITS Staff
- Right-Sizing Chicago Parking | Center for Neighborhood Technology — Center for Neighborhood Technology
- Chicago Eliminates Parking Requirements, Unlocks Certain Density Bonuses with New Ordinance | Thompson Coburn LLP — Devin Schwent
- Ending Parking Mandates To Bend Development's Cost Curve — Richard Lawson
- Denver study shows removing parking requirements results in more affordable housing being built — Phys
- Cutting parking for homes built near transit aims to ease housing crunch - Chicago Sun-Times — Suntimes
- Cutting parking for homes built near transit aims to ease housing crunch - WBEZ Chicago — Wbez
- The Impacts of Minimum Parking Requirements: A Research Synthesis — Bts
- City Council Corruption Arises From Unchecked Aldermanic Power - Center for Effective Government — Center for Effective Government
# Power Begets Corruption on the City Council **Engagement** Published: Apr 03 2023 ##### Share *“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from*[*Crain’s Chicago Business*](https://www.chicagobusiness.com/)*and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it…