SPACES FOR CARS OR PEOPLE? RETHINKING PARKING AND ADDRESSING URBAN HEAT ISLANDS EFFECT TO SUPPORT MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn many American cities, parking has been long treated as a necessity, but mandatory parking minimums have often produced excessive underutilized surface parking, which has discouraged mixed-use development. In Oklahoma City, decades of mandatory minimum parking requirements have resulted in an urban landscape where approximately one quarter of downtown land is dedicated to parking. A 2020 study found that 186 acres of off-street parking in downtown OKC were unused during peak hours. This thesis examines the relationship between parking policy, mixed-use development, and urban heat in Oklahoma City. In Oklahoma City, these issues are important because the city’s car-oriented urban form and abundant surface parking have shaped development patterns for decades. At the same time, the city’s comprehensive planning goals emphasize mixed-use, walkable and more-sustainable development, creating a noticeable planning gap between planning vision and current land use patterns. The importance of the topic consists of its connection to sustainable community development. Surface parking is associated with land-use, environmental and equity conditions because large asphalt surfaces increase impervious surface, intensify urban heat island effects, and limit opportunities for dense, mixed-use growth. This research asks: How does the allocation and spatial distribution of surface parking in Oklahoma City affect areas designated or suitable for mixed-use development? What are the major environmental impacts, particularly urban heat islands, associated with excess surface parking, and which communities are most at risk? What strategies and best practices from peer cities can Oklahoma City adopt to repurpose parking into climate-resilient, community-serving mixed-use development? To answer these questions, the study uses a mixed-methods approach that combines GIS mapping, spatial analysis, land-surface temperature analysis, vegetation assessment, zoning review, and comparative policy analysis. Surface parking lots were inventoried and mapped across Oklahoma City, then compared with current mixed-use zoning districts and PlanOKC future mixed-use designations. The research also analyzed heat patterns and vegetation conditions to assess the environmental impact of parking-dominated land uses. Finally, the study reviewed parking reform strategies from cities such as Minneapolis, Portland, and Buffalo to identify transferable policy lessons for Oklahoma City. The findings show that surface parking is concentrated in precisely the areas where mixed-use development is optimal, including the downtown core and major commercial corridors. These parking-dominated areas also exhibit high land surface temperatures and low vegetation cover, confirming that parking contributes to urban heat and weakens environmental quality. In addition, the review of local policy shows that parking minimums continue to reinforce low-density development and make mixed-use redevelopment more difficult than necessary. The research, therefore, identifies a significant policy development gap between Oklahoma City’s planning goals and its current zoning regulations. The study concludes that parking reform can serve as a practical tool for sustainable planning. Reforming parking minimums, introducing parking maximums, and integrating green infrastructure into redevelopment could help convert underused parking land into more livable, walkable, and climate-resilient mixed-use places. More broadly, the thesis demonstrates that parking policy is not just about cars; it is a powerful planning tool for shaping healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable cities.