Community Concerns - Parking
Parking is necessary in nearly every community in America. But it doesn’t have to be pervasive, immense, or ugly. In fact, parked cars can even provide a tool for pedestrian-friendly places. But communities must shape their parking, or the parking will shape them. Achieving appropriate quantities and locations for parking is an evolving balancing act for every community.
Neighborhoods - Nodes of Places
On-street parking provides an amenity and tool for small local businesses, creates street calming, and allows people to park once and walk. The strategic placement of on-street and off-street parking facilities allows residents, patrons, and employees to have access to multiple places in focused, mixed-use districts.
Neighborhoods - Tools for Planning
We can control parking, or it can control us. Strategically arranging parking areas can help the development of walkable, vibrant neighborhoods. Community gatherings, form-based codes, and asset mapping are some tools that can be used to understand how parking can be arranged in a way that meets the needs of the community – or doesn’t.
Streets - Fundamental Ingredients
On-street parking is a useful amenity that brings customers closer to businesses which leads to more viable economies. On-street parking also helps creates calmer and safer street corridors. It must be placed correctly though, and used with a set of other ingredients to create places worthy of our pride.
Buildings - Architectural Design
The location and design of off-street parking is critical to creating places that are for people and not just for cars. Locating parking lots behind buildings is a good and obvious strategy, but when that’s not possible we must design parking lots that are aesthetically pleasing, sustainable, and even amenity rich.