Friday Video: We’re All Paying For ‘Free’ Parking, Whether Or Not We Drive

Countless cities across America require developers to build a sea of car storage at every new building. But is that the only reason why we have so much excess asphalt, and all the sprawl, pollution, and problems that come with it?

Check out this deep dive from analytics firm Urban 3, where they break down one of the less-discussed reasons we’re paving over so much of our country: how assessors tax lots — or don’t — and how that “incentivizes cities to destroy their greatest assets and replace them with parking of little or no value.”

And once you’ve watched it, you’ll realize that every “free parking” sign you pass on the street isn’t just misleading; it’s an outright lie that masks how much we’re all subsidizing driving.