Halifax used to have a lot more surface parking than it does now. Right now, there are about 5 blocks of active downtown construction sites that were formerly parking.
Unfortunately, most of the remaining parking lots are owned by various levels of government and there is little pressure for them to develop. The province often holds on to lots for decades if they think they might one day need them (or if they just forget about them). The Waterfront Development Corporation has traditionally been one of the worst offenders. They inherited a bunch of cleared industrial land in the 1970's and then proceeded to develop at what one commenter called a "leisurely pace".
You can see Halifax's "parking district" at the bottom of this photo:
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