Planning a More Sensible Future for Parking

In the fast-changing world of mobility, planners are thinking differently about parking, either doing away with it altogether or reconceptualizing the long-term uses of parking structures, writes John R. Quain.

Cities like Davis, California, are sparing taxpayers the burdensome cost of parking garages by deciding not to build them. Instead of providing more parking, the focus is on pricing street parking to more effectively manage supply and demand.

Another approach picking up steam is adaptive reuse, where structures are designed with the long-term goal of repurposing them down the road. Planning involves thinking ahead about ceiling heights, floor plans, and ways to incorporate plumbing and electrical systems into buildings to make future conversions easier and less costly.

"A Hudson Pacific Properties office complex going up on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, for example, will have a dedicated ride-share drop-off lobby and two floors of parking that can be converted into office space in the future," says Quain.