http://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/5249862-151/guest-column...
http://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/5249862-151/guest-column...
The end result is parking in grey-legal spots, parking in too narrow streets making it dangerous, parking in ex-greenery-now-sandy-parking-lot and whatnot. And lots of bad blood between neighbours who took whose spot :) Yes, there're rules to fine such behaviour. But it'd be political suicide to enforce those rules because everybody breaks them.
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0492073,-121.3266077,3a,75y,...
Is a pretty common sight in the US. What a colossal waste of land!
Here's the book everyone cites on the issue:
https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193...
Here's the first lot I found in Portland... nice, waterfront parking!
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5319709,-122.6711514,3a,60y,...
And of course people use cars a lot to get around here. That doesn't mean the government has to require it: any business that depends on car-dependent people is going to want to provide some parking. There's no reason for the government to get involved in it.
Also: part of the reason people need cars to get around is because we fill land up with useless BS like that, rather than housing or businesses or commercial - empty space stretches everything else out so that more trips require a car.
What is interesting, this evolved despite OK public transit and very little cars in the early 90s.
This is far superior to the government dictating X parking spots per house (2 in the city I live in), and Y per type of business.
A recent example.. There was a mall with a parking lot, not too small not too big. A new apartment building was built. One of their selling points was huge free parking nearby. Mall was pissed off that their parking lot is full and customers can't find a spot and installed barriers to prevent overnight parking (2 or 4h free, longer - €€€). Now people who bought apartments are pissed because they were told the parking lot was public (= gov-owned). Mall customers are pissed because barriers is inconvenience. Mall is pissed because operating barriers cost them extra money. City is pissed because suddenly they have a load of cars on narrow street nearby. The only ones who won are the sleazy developers.
Another issue is small apartment blocks built in single-family houses quarters. Tiny streets over there can easily take a car or two in front of each house. Then suddenly a 6-apartment building comes up and there're 10 cars in front of a property that'd otherwise have 1 or 2 cars. This happens in rather remote suburbs mind you.
By the way, over there housing costs climb regardless of little parking required. Apartments in central locations (= walkable/bikable to most offices) cost a shitload of money compared to houses in suburbs. Especially once you step in family-sized market.