The High Cost of Free Parking

• This video explains the history of parking policies in the United States and their impact on the environment. 
• Students will learn that cities need parking solutions that will allow for more housing and green space. 
  

Positives

• Students will learn that mandatory parking minimums harm the environment.
• The video shows how sprawling parking lots take up space that could be used for housing.

Additional Prerequisites

• This video begins with an advertisement.

Differentiation

• Social studies classes could use this video to discuss parking policies that reduce the number of cars in urban areas.
• Students could research parking management strategies that create more urban green spaces, then design parking solutions for a local area.
• Other resources on this topic include this interactive map that shows which cities have eliminated some or all of their parking mandates, this text on urban heat islands, and this video on underground bike parking in the Netherlands.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.