National links: Cities try permeable paving, rain gardens, and fewer parking lots (opens in new tab)

Hampton Roads, Virginia and New Orleans are among the places looking away from asphalt parking lots. Since the 2008 financial crisis, more single-family homes have been built to rent. A proposed ballot measure to fund transit agencies in the Bay Area gathered over 300,000 signatures. Cities try to ease parking lots’ environmental impacts: Asphalt parking lots contribute to urban heat islands and generate excess water runoff. Ways to mitigate these impacts include eliminating parking minimums,...