NEW buildings are putting a spoke in the wheels of inner-city drivers. In Melbourne's CBD and neighbouring suburbs more apartments are being developed with fewer - or no - car spaces.

Instead, inner-city residents are being offered bicycle parking or shared car spaces.

Push to reduce car spaces for apartments in the CBD to discourage driving in the inner city. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

''There is definitely a strong downward trend in the amount of car parking being proposed for inner-city developments,'' Yarra mayor Geoff Barbour said.

That was due to people's changing lifestyles and local government policies that discourage cars in the inner-city, councils and developers say.