FAQs

The Parking Master Plan and Implementation Strategy (PMPIS) examined how parking needs in the City change as the City continues to grow.  The goals of the PMPIS are to improve the effectiveness of resources dedicated to parking and to use parking as a tool to realize city building objectives.  

Key recommendations of the PMPIS included a precinct approach to parking requirements, and further study to define precincts and parking regulations within each precinct.  The current Parking Regulations Study (PRS) was launched to provide the City with policy direction to support future parking regulations.  

Parking regulations, which are contained in the City’s Zoning By-law, will influence the amount and types of parking provided (e.g. accessible parking, dedicated vs. shared parking, electric charging stations, bicycle parking) that will be provided in future developments and businesses.  How parking is regulated within the City directly impacts where and how you can park in  in different parts of Mississauga. In addition, the appropriate supply of parking can influence travel behaviour which can bring about a healthier and more sustainable city.

Providing parking is land-intensive and can be very costly. The requirement to provide on-site parking based on one size fits all requirements can negatively impact housing affordability, development and economic opportunities, mobility, and the environment. Updating parking requirements to better reflect local contexts can lessen these impacts. 

This project addresses on-site parking which is parking provided on the same lot of the use (e.g. residential, commercial, employment) generating the parking need. Off-site (e.g., street parking) and public parking will not be examined in detail except in the context of supporting surrounding land uses and as an alternative to on-site parking. 

The City of Mississauga is made up of distinct neighbourhoods and geographic areas. How people live, work, play and move is different from neighbourhood to neighbourhood and so parking regulations should not be the same across the City. In addition, some areas have more transit options and active transportation infrastructure (e.g., bicycle lanes, walking connections) and less people need to use cars to move around.  

A parking precinct is defined as a  geographic area where certain parking regulations apply.  The PMPIS recommended the lowest minimum parking requirements in Precinct 1 which includes the City Centre (Downtown Core), and the highest parking requirements in the suburban parts of the City with limited access to frequent or rapid transit (e.g., Precincts 4 and 5).

This project is currently scheduled to be completed in 2021.

The City’s Zoning By-law's parking requirements will be updated based on the study’s recommendations.  The scope of potential changes includes: 

• the implementation of parking precincts 
• updated minimum parking requirements 
• bicycle parking requirements,
• provisions related to shared parking, car share, curbside management, bike share, electric vehicle (EV), mechanical parking, and loading.  

Some of the Study recommendations may be implemented in guidelines.  It may also trigger changes to the City’s municipal parking program, such as on-street parking permits.

The City’s TMP establishes a clear vision for a future transportation system that is safe, inclusive, multi-modal, connected to place, environmentally conscious, and ready for the future. The TMP specifically calls for update of City-wide parking provision policies and related requirements (including  the incorporation of Bike Parking into the Zoning By-law) in line with the recommendations of the Parking Master Plan and Region of Peel's Transportation Demand Management Strategy and Implementation Plan.