
"…development boom adds vibrancy, subtracts parking". The article describes how turning numerous parking lots into building space made downtown Denver more livable and walkable. Most interesting however is the final quote of the article: "Often people will say there isn't parking, but what they mean is that there isn't parking right in front of the location they're going to. It may be three or four blocks away,…" The question this raises is whether parking "three or four blocks away" is a trivial inconvenience or merits more careful consideration.
Consolidating Public Car Parking
Eliminating
unnecessary car parking spaces and parking lots frees up precious land for
better uses such as residences, parks, shopping and offices. Consolidating the
necessary public parking spaces into large, centralized car parks is one
solution but it does require many people to walk farther.
For most
people, most of the time, walking three or four blocks to their parked cars
should be a good, healthy experience. However, for people with infants or
toddlers, the handicapped, the elderly and others walking three or four blocks
can be a struggle.
Alternative to Large, Centralized Car Parking
Inefficiencies
inherent with the design generally require multi-storey car parks occupy a
considerable amount of land. There is an alternative, however.
Automated
parking systems (APS) are a super-space efficient way to provide parking
spaces. APS typically require 70% less land area and 50% less volume to park
the same number of cars as a conventional car park. Moreover, APS can fit in
places that are too small or otherwise unusable for conventional multi-storey
car parking.
Livable Car Parking
Having several
compact in size and flexible in arrangement APS scattered throughout a community
is much more in keeping with the concepts of livability than is a single, huge
car park. Using multiple APS reduces the distance from car parking to
destination for everyone. They are also much friendlier for the elderly,
parents of small children, the handicapped, the neighborhood and the
environment.
Eliminating
infrequently used parking spaces and wasted space is not only a good idea it's
a necessity in the face of increasing urbanization. Cars and parking spaces,
however, are not going to disappear anytime soon. Designing communities around
giant car parks wastes land and detracts from the character of a community.
Alternatively, automated parking systems provide a much more aesthetic and
livable solution for car parking. Learn more about options for creating more
livable communities from the experts at Skyline Parking.
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[1] http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_27613835/downtown-denvers-development-boom-adds-vibrancy-subtracts-parking
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