Sustainable mobility starts with parking!

The European project Park4SUMP is putting parking management at the forefront of urban policies to improve mobility and quality of life in our cities.

Despite the research that demonstrates how good parking management is beneficial to delivering sustainable urban mobility in our cities, it is still one of the most underdeveloped sections within Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP) policies. Park4SUMP aims to reverse this status by considering parking management as part of a wider strategy that can benefit not only urban mobility, but also the overall quality of life in our cities. In fact, good parking management can assist this strategy by freeing up public space, supporting local businesses, reducing search travel, generating revenue and making our cities more attractive.

During these past few months, the cities involved in the Park4SUMP project have been active in the development of new parking standards (regulations on how much parking should be allocated – and subsequently built – for new buildings in cities) while simultaneously undergoing the ParkPAD tests.

Too high minimum parking standards have perverse effects on ever-increasing real estate prices.  In addition, there is also a negative impact on public space and on how people move. High availability of parking space for cars is a push factor for car use. Park4SUMP’s advice is to set a maximum standard while also aiming for an integrated approach on mobility. There must be a consideration of various factors such as the accessibility of areas, the presence of public transport, cycle paths, car sharing, and other modes of sustainable transport that could bring a shift towards more sustainable mobility.

To learn more, this Practitioner Briefing document will explain how parking policies can become more strategic, effective and sustainable if implemented within Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP).

Visit the website: https://park4sump.eu/