SOMERSWORTH — On a Monday afternoon, there were empty parking spaces all along Main Street. The only cars in sight were the ones passing by.

That’s a common occurrence on Main Street, and the city is seeking to put those parking spaces to use with a proposal to relax parking regulations for downtown developers by eliminating the parking requirement for new projects. The City Council is scheduled to consider what’s called the Special Parking District at its Aug. 5 meeting. A public hearing on the proposal is also scheduled that night.

The overlay district, as it is proposed now, includes what the city considers three economic centers: one at the intersection of Main, Market and High streets; a second covering the offices on Highland Street and Constitutional way; and a third covering Main Street across from the former GE building.