Monte Anderson Parking Lot Housing
Housing on underused parking lots may be one of the fastest, most practical ways to create affordable homes without cutting down forests, expanding cities outward, or waiting decades for large-scale redevelopment. Across the world, vast areas of valuable land sit empty most of the time—parking lots built for peak retail demand that no longer exists.
In this People and Projects episode of the Streets and People podcast, Monte Anderson explained how he has transformed struggling shopping centres by turning excess parking into homes, small businesses, and walkable community spaces. His approach is simple, incremental, and deeply practical: reuse what already exists.
This article shares key insights from that conversation, including timestamps, and explores what housing on underused parking lots could mean for Australian suburbs.
Table of contents
- The hidden potential of parking lots
- How car-oriented suburbs created excess parking
- Why shopping centres are failing
- Turning parking lots into townhomes
- Why townhomes work better than tiny homes
- Making parking lots feel like streets
- The role of the town maker
- How to convince banks and councils
- Mixed-use makes parking more efficient
- The economic case
- How communities can help
- Lessons for planners
- Why this matters in Australia
- A practical path forward
The hidden potential of parking lots
Most suburban shopping centres were built with far more parking than they actually need. These lots were designed for peak demand, but remain mostly empty for most of the day.
This creates an enormous opportunity. Housing on underused parking lots allows communities to create homes immediately, using land that already has infrastructure, shops, roads, drainage, and utilities.
Instead of expanding cities outward, communities can grow inward.
How car-oriented suburbs created excess parking
Monte described how many suburbs were built entirely around cars:
“They grew when the car grew and sprawl grew… big wide streets, big parking lots for single-use retail centres.”
These environments prioritised vehicle storage over people. As retail patterns changed, those parking areas became oversized and underused.
Housing on underused parking lots directly addresses this imbalance by putting people back where land is currently reserved for cars.
Why shopping centres are failing
Retail has shifted dramatically over the past 30 years.
Online shopping, changing consumer habits, and consolidation of major retailers have left many older suburban centres struggling.
Monte explained:
“These shopping centres became vacant… and they had these great big parking lots because they were over-parked when they were built.”
Rather than demolishing them, he saw opportunity.
The parking lot itself became the development site.
Housing on underused parking lots allowed these places to evolve instead of disappear.
Turning parking lots into townhomes
Monte began building townhomes directly on former parking areas.
These homes were modest in size but designed for long-term ownership. Residents became invested in the success of the place.
Instead of a retail centre surrounded by empty asphalt, the area became a neighbourhood.
Housing on underused parking lots created permanent life and activity where previously there had only been temporary parking.
Why townhomes work better than tiny homes
Tiny homes often attract attention, but Monte found traditional attached housing more practical.
Connected townhomes are cheaper per square metre, easier to finance, and integrate better into neighbourhoods.
Housing on underused parking lots works best when it creates durable, permanent homes—not temporary solutions.
Permanent housing attracts long-term residents, investment, and care.
Making parking lots feel like real streets
One of Monte’s most powerful insights was conceptual.
Instead of seeing parking lots as permanent, he saw them as future streets.
He treated internal fire lanes like streets and built housing alongside them. Suddenly, what had been empty asphalt became a walkable block.
Housing on underused parking lots helps transform vehicle storage into human-scale places.
This simple shift changes everything.
The role of the town maker
Monte describes himself as a town maker, not just a developer.
Town making balances financial sustainability with long-term community value.
Housing on underused parking lots supports both goals. It increases property value while creating places people care about.
It is development that strengthens communities rather than extracting value from them.
How to convince banks and councils
Banks respond to financial logic.
Housing increases land value and produces ongoing income. Parking lots do not.
Monte explained that successful projects clearly show:
• development costs
• expected income
• debt coverage
• long-term value
Housing on underused parking lots makes financial sense because the land is already owned and serviced.
This dramatically reduces development risk.
Mixed-use makes parking more efficient
Parking demand varies throughout the day.
Retail needs parking during the day. Restaurants need it at night. Residents need it overnight.
When housing is added, the same parking spaces serve multiple uses at different times.
Housing on underused parking lots allows land to serve multiple purposes instead of sitting empty.
This improves efficiency without eliminating parking entirely.
The economic case
Monte described a shopping centre whose value increased dramatically after redevelopment.
Adding housing increased revenue, activity, and long-term stability.
Parking lots generate almost no economic productivity.
Housing generates ongoing value.
Housing on underused parking lots strengthens local economies while addressing housing shortages.
How communities can help
Change does not always begin with large developers.
Community members can:
• support redevelopment proposals
• engage with council planning processes
• organise temporary uses of parking areas
• advocate for zoning flexibility
Housing on underused parking lots often begins with a simple idea and local support.
Lessons for planners
Monte emphasised that planners must understand financial realities.
Infrastructure costs money. Low-density development often fails to generate enough value to sustain itself.
Housing on underused parking lots improves the financial productivity of existing land.
It allows cities to grow sustainably.
Why this matters in Australia
Australian suburbs face growing housing shortages alongside vast underused parking areas.
Many shopping centres have more parking than they need.
Housing on underused parking lots offers a practical solution that:
• uses existing infrastructure
• reduces urban sprawl
• supports local businesses
• provides housing near services
• strengthens communities
It can be implemented incrementally.
A practical path forward
Monte emphasised starting small.
One building.
One row of homes.
One parking lot.
Housing on underused parking lots does not require megaprojects. It requires a shift in thinking.
The land already exists.
The infrastructure already exists.
The opportunity already exists.
What remains is the decision to use it.
Here’s the Parking Reform Network article that sparked the conversation: PRN article https://parkingreform.org/2025/06/25/redeveloping-excess-parking-an-incremental-approach-in-a-texas-suburb/
You can find Monte here: Options Real Estate https://www.optionsre.com and here https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/our-team/monte-anderson
Podcast theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | Bensound
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