School of Planning, Design and Construction Urban Collaborators

The City of Beaverton applied to host a practicum project because of a need to reevaluate the use, occupancy, and value of the public parking available within its Central Business District. In conversation with city officials, concerns were raised about underutilization of available parking spaces, threats to physical property and pedestrian safety from parking lot misuse, and the fear that unused, unoccupied parking spaces were taking up valuable land that could instead serve the community through more efficient, desirable, and productive land uses.

The data gathered by Michigan State University’s Spring 2025 practicum team validated many of the points raised by the City of Beaverton. Many parking areas, both on-street angled and parallel parking and off-street parking lots, failed to reach 50% capacity during both weekday and weekend collection periods in February 2025. One collection area, an off-street parking lot near a major intersection and Ross Lake, failed to record a single vehicle during any of the nine data collection periods undertaken by the practicum team. The data confirms the city’s concerns; Beaverton needed to reckon with its public parking.

To synthesize the best practices for the city regarding future management of its public parking, the practicum team gathered additional data. The team gathered and analyzed parking-related case studies from similarly sized communities, surveyed the business owners and operators of the Central Business District, and reviewed Beaverton’s existing parking ordinances. Based on those considerations, the team will present a variety of recommendations within this report.

To improve safety, increase mobility, and prioritize overall usefulness in Beaverton's Central Business District, the city should carry out several quick improvements within the next year. These specific efforts aim to improve the look of the area, increase safety, and reform superfluous policies. The main suggestions are to update the paint on crosswalks and parking spaces, put up protective bollards and signs for public parking, and review parking rules to better meet the needs of residents and visitors. By focusing on these improvements, the city can create a more welcoming and effective downtown area.

The practicum team’s mid-term recommendations aim to improve parking efficiency and increase pedestrian safety, building upon the initial short-term improvements recommended previously. The city can make it easier for residents and visitors to get around by changing the current parking designs and enhancing walkway accessibility for pedestrians. The primary recommendations are to redesign the Laundry Lot to enhance traffic movement and make better use of space and to move parking spots in the Old Bank Lot back to create a protected walkway for pedestrians. These changes will improve safety and make it easier to access the Central Business District without a car.

To support Beaverton’s future development, the practicum team’s long-term recommendations focus on smart infill development, infrastructural upgrades, and increased pedestrian connectivity. These recommendations include directives for infill growth in underutilized areas, upgrades to off-street parking lots, and the construction of a pedestrian bridge to increase accessibility. By repurposing select parking areas for mixed-use commercial activity and public gathering spaces, the city can conceive a more walkable and pedestrian-friendly downtown. Additionally, paving the Porter-Ross parking lot will guarantee greater parking opportunities while aiding future development. Finally, construction of the Trail of Two Cities pedestrian bridge will supply a crucial non-motorized network between Beaverton and Gladwin, further encouraging access.

Implementing these recommendations in Beaverton’s Central Business District will allow for smarter, safer, and simpler use of the city’s public parking spaces, both on-street and off-street. They address the concerns raised by Beaverton’s municipal officials and respond to the deficiencies in usage and accessibility identified by the practicum team’s gathered data. Most importantly, the recommendations incorporate community feedback from business owners, a group identified as a crucial stakeholder within the city’s downtown area. Overhauling how the city manages its public parking will reduce stress on city officials, increase accessibility for pedestrians, protect physical infrastructure, and mitigate the effects of underutilized space in a valuable area, ultimately building a better, brighter Beaverton.