Parking Perspectives’ innovative software, designed to help councils and communities decide how best to use kerbspace, was featured at the recent Climate East conference that brought together councils and climate solutions from across the East of England.
Attendees heard how Kerbplanner can help local authorities make the best use of limited kerbspace when there are competing demands from different uses, and how it provides an evidence-base for making those decisions. This in turn helps support wider policy goals of decarbonising the transport system, particularly decarbonising the kerbside and ‘last mile’ freight and servicing, as well as urban realm improvements and creating more liveable spaces.
Our Technical Director Graham James, speaking in a session on transport and climate change, showed how users can test different options for using kerbspace, and compare the results. The analysis can be used to test ideas, support decision-making, help make the case for change to stakeholders, and feed into business cases.
Kerbplanner simulates the parking demand over the course of a day, and calculates the carbon impacts and other environmental and socio-economic impacts of the trips and the streetscape features under each option. In keeping with the climate theme, Graham explained how Kerbplanner incorporates state-of-the-art methods for estimating the carbon impacts of street trees, as well as those of motorised trips.
The conference, held in Newmarket on 15 October, was organised by Local Government East (the East of England Local Government Association). The session on transport and climate change was hosted by Transport East and the Connected Places Catapult, and showcased innovative solutions available to local authorities, the wider public sector and developers alike to help tackle the challenges of climate-change in the region.
Development of Kerbplanner was funded by the Department for Transport via a Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) administered by the Connected Places Catapult.
Kerbplanner can be used on any transport or urban realm project where changes to kerbspace allocation are being considered. For more information, visit http://kerbplanner.com/ or get in touch.