Parking: Not as Bad as You Think; Worse Than You Realize

New Brunswick, NJ March 10, 2017

Rachel Weinberger, Ph.D.Weinberger & AssociatesBrooklyn, NY

Defining the Problem:Too little parking

Require More Parking!Problem solved, right?

Failure to coordinate gives the wrong impression

Ahmedabad Harbin

Introduced some new problems

• Parking is overwhelming oversupplied.

• in the US small and medium downtowns on average 65%.

• With no discernable effect on perceptions of shortages.

Efforts to coordinate

Impractical to Regulate as Accessory to Land Use

Land uses change, buildings are durable

Use Required Parking Church 210 spacesNightclub 115 spacesRetail mall 90 spaces

Adaptive reuse

Berkeley Recreational Bowl circa 1970 Any Mountain circa 2013

Use Required Parking Bowling alley 90 spacesGrocery store 120 spacesOutdoor gear (clothing) 120 spaces

Failed Reuse Attempts

Better to Share

-

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

-

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

31% Less Residential

Office

Restaurant

Residential

Restaurant

Office

Shared Actual Usage Unshared Supply