Live/work is sometimes called "zero commute housing". While few empirical studies have been completed on the parking needs of live/work, anecdotally a few stories are worth repeating here. Most urban live/work projects built today are occupied by single people, couples, empty nesters, and occasional children. If at least one member of a couple truly works at home, we have observed that such a family unit will -- as likely as not -- get along well with only one car. This depends on other variables, such as proximity of local services, mass transit, etc., but it is clear that the parking needs and traffic (expressed as "VMTs" or Vehicle Miles Traveled) generated by live/work are different than those of normal housing. Most cites have settled on one to 1-1/2 spaces per unit as a requirement, or to require parking in proportion to work area, e.g. one space for every 400-600 square feet of the aggregate work area of a project. This latter approach has in some cases resulted in many vacant spaces, especially if combined with a project in which employees and walk-in trade are not permitted.

When client visits are anticipated, or employees are permitted, or walk-in trade a la retail are part of a project, then additional parking should be provided (on-street or off-street) for those non-resident occupants of the spaces. Often when building a project for unknown buyers or tenants, even if one assumes that the above non-resident uses will be permitted, it is difficult to know how many occupants will avail themselves of them. For example, in an 18-unit project within walking distance of a small city downtown, what percentage of the units at any given time would require non-resident parking? Some cars may be gone during the day because of one half of a couple works elsewhere. A few residents may do so also, full or part time. If there is ample on-street parking in the daytime, depending on the nature of the surrounding street, this could supplant the projects off street parking. Typically in live/work projects, unless the units are quite large or configured as live-near or live-nearby, the number of employees won't be that large. Most people tend to move on to a dedicated workspace rather than have employees continually in their living space. The same is true of walk-in trade. Client visits by appointment are permitted in most jurisdictions’ home occupation regulations without any added parking requirements.

While more study of the parking and traffic implications of live/work are needed, experience has shown that unless the individual spaces are quite large (say 2000+ s.f.) and/or are configured with separate work spaces, two spaces (maximum 2-1/2) per unit should be enough even when employees and walk-in trade are permitted. Local zoning standards for parking requirements should apply to separated work spaces or unit areas in excess of 2000 square feet, subtracting for the residents’ use of that space.