Parking Strategies 

When we consider a parking strategy there are a range of options and choices that we make that influence the kind of place we create.

How people experience shops.

Do we create a North American style model with each retail unit surrounded by plentiful parking or do we favour a historic pedestrian streetscene?

How residents park their cars

Does car parking take precedence over the street scene and the visual beauty of the built environment? 

To what extent should car ownership be a function of having access to somewhere to park the car?

How much access cars have

Car parking in our town centres mean that cars enter the town centres. Attracting and serving vehicles within the city creates severance, pollution, noise and personal risk to pedestrians and cyclists. Do we want to provide access in other ways?

How much parking we provide

To what extent does the town need to provide parking for all occasions and what happens if it doesn’t? Do we want large parking areas or discrete locations throughout the town?

The quality of provision

How much public money should be spent to make our car parks clean, safe and easy to use?

How our parking is managed and paid for

What controls are used, what level of service we want to achieve. Should we provide premium parking for those that want high service and access. Should those coming to the town to shop enjoy lower cost parking and how then is that paid for? Should we protect on-street parking for residents, for those with mobility needs? What is the right charge to apply to those using a public asset to park their car?

Parking underpins economic well-being but also promotes car use and car access into parking areas. One of the principal roles and services we offer is to consider the purpose and intent for parking in our clients’ towns, cities, campuses, parks and service areas based on the overall benefit and contribution to the community it serves.