smart city sustainability

Parking Spaces Requirements. Urban Mobility Management

Urban centers worldwide are grappling with a myriad of parking-related challenges that significantly impact the daily life and mobility of residents. From inadequate parking lot sizes that fail to accommodate all vehicles to congestion exacerbated by poorly designed aisles, the issues are manifold. Despite the potential of digitization, it is clear that technology cannot address all of these problems. This article delves into the technical requirements for designing effective parking spaces and identifies dimensions that need rethinking.

Against the background of the smart city idea, we have more than once pointed out the need to digitize parking in cities. Applications such as Navipay, which indicate the number and location of available spaces and then determine the optimal route to them, accompany us every day. Software that allows us to manage parking, allocate spaces, and monetize unused space is also no longer a novelty in debates about how to make life more convenient for residents of urban agglomerations. However, it seems that the issue of parking lots is treated by city authorities in a low-key manner, and the essence of the problem is ignored. It is not enough to install an automatic parking system to make all parking difficulties disappear, and these, after all, vary from location to location. It is necessary to analyze and understand from the ground up how parking lots function on a daily basis.

Numerous parking problems are marked by a certain universality. Parking spots are not infrequently in short supply or underutilized; to find one, one has to make several laps around the destination, and collecting a ticket and subsequently paying for parking costs not only money but also time and nerves. It should be emphasized that the point is not to promote a life of haste, but that the loss of time on activities that should be characterized by simplicity should be as small as possible. Parking lots face many common problems, such as limited space, poor lighting, and inadequate signage. However, these difficulties can vary depending on the location and purpose of the parking lot. The ones near shopping centers can struggle with congestion during rush hours and low occupancy in the morning, and airport parking lots may not be marked clearly enough to allow smooth traffic flow at terminals. Parking lots near medical facilities, on the other hand, often face unique challenges, including the necessity to facilitate access for patients with mobility problems, increased patient turnover, and the need for security to protect the health of both staff and visitors. Each type of parking lot requires customized solutions to effectively address issues specific to the particular site.

Technical requirements in the design of parking spaces

Regulations on the construction of parking spaces are quite precise. They govern the distance of separate parking spaces from the windows of buildings or playgrounds (including spaces for the disabled), the distance from the borders of the building plot, determine the height of underground parking lots and the minimum size of parking spaces for passenger cars¹. They also impose the need to pave the road and secure drainage so that the water does not run off onto neighboring properties². An amendment to the law introduced in 2018³ additionally specified the measurements of spaces for other types of vehicles, including trucks and buses, and changed the minimum width of parking spots for passenger cars from 2.3 meters to 2.5 meters, and for people with disabilities to 3.6 meters wide. Although it increased the width of parking spaces, it reduced the necessary distance between the longer edge of the space and the wall from 0.5 meters to 0.3 meters, and the distance between the edge and the pole to 0.1 meters⁴.

Cities or municipalities in Poland, through resolutions of the land development plans, decide how to use the given area. The study⁵, which analyzed a number of planning documents from 2000-2019 and parking standards in several countries, indicates that in these resolutions, urban mobility management and congestion reduction are still rarely given attention. For the past two decades, Polish city officials have mainly exercised their right to set a minimum number of parking spaces. While urban planning helps organize the area and provide the necessary infrastructure, it does not allow for a reduction in the number of cars⁶, so that the rate of motorization is increasing, and the problem of parking shortages and constant congestion remains unsolved and continues to aggravate.   The recalled documents are intended to provide motorized with safety and convenience. While undoubtedly wider parking spaces make it easier to get in and out of a vehicle, the current regulations are not the answer to the current problems drivers face in various parking lots. The regulations are a starting point, specifying the minimum conditions that a developer must meet for a parking lot to be built, but they are in no way an indication of the quality of the new parking lot, the ease of use, and the flow of traffic in the area. So we know the formal requirements and theoretical aspects of parking lot construction. But what about practice?

Parking lots at institutions. On the difficulties of designing urban parking lots

One of the biggest annoyances drivers experience with parking lots? Their inadequate size. For example, parking lots near schools and public offices are often too small and unsuitable for residents' needs. An insufficient number of parking spaces leads to a series of problems, including unauthorized parking on lawns and other green spaces, which harms the environment and spoils the urban landscape. In addition, the limited number of parking spaces creates congestion and prevents the smooth flow of traffic, especially at the beginning and end of the school day, when parents or university students in smaller cities have difficulty finding a parking space. This problem also affects the personnel of the aforementioned institutions, which rarely have a separate parking area, so both office employees and stakeholders compete for parking space.

At the other extreme are–creating a challenge for managers and owners–oversized parking lots that are not fully utilized. Parking lots at shopping centers are often built to accommodate all vehicles on peak traffic days, such as before the holidays or the start of the school year⁷. However, the availability of free parking spaces in no way protects drivers from standing in traffic jams and circling in search of a spot. Indeed, it is not uncommon to encounter a situation where, in parking lots built before the 2018 law was amended, two wide vehicles make it impossible to park between them, as their size exceeds the parking space. Vehicles parked next to them now only create a domino effect, and the increased traffic in shopping mall-owned parking lots generates frustration, wastes time, and increases the amount of fuel consumed. Congestion also creates the risk of accidents, as parking lots are not infrequently illegibly marked, and the one‑way traffic order in narrow alleys happens to be ignored. When pedestrians maneuvering between vehicles and the lack of marked crosswalks are added to the equation, accidents are no longer difficult to come by.

The aforementioned poor signage also contributes to low parking lot occupancy rates. Many ineffectively marked locations in city centers remain unknown and unused due to the lack of information about their availability that could effectively reach drivers unaware of alternative parking facilities. Meanwhile, spaces along streets are fully occupied, causing drivers to circulate the area. Such a situation inevitably leads to wasted time and fuel and contributes to traffic jams.   Currently, underutilization of available space largely characterizes corporate parking lots. While they may suit the needs of employees during the day, they become empty after working hours. Employees drive out of the underground office parking lot to then, along the street, look for a vacant space again so they can run their daily errands at nearby institutions. The unavailability of numerous parking spaces for external customers while nearby facilities remain overcrowded contributes to traffic congestion, underscoring the need for better management and more flexible use of corporate parking lots.  
The previously mentioned problems have one thing in common: the inadequacy of parking lots to meet the needs of drivers and the expectations of parking lot managers. The flagship example is medical facilities, at which parking lots are often overpriced and too small. Although work was carried out at the Municipal Hospital on Komeńskiego Street in Elbląg last year to improve safety–a crosswalk was relocated, light signage was added and a new entrance to the hospital grounds was created–Internet users still stress that the real challenge is the lack of a parking lot at the facility⁸. Visitors to the University Clinical Center on Dębinki Street in Gdańsk face a similar problem. Spaces at the UCK are scarce, and the dense development makes it difficult to maneuver a vehicle and forces one to circulate in search of a free space. And once you find the place, you're likely to get off among sand, rocks, open sewer manholes, and bumps⁹. Although the parking lot created in 2022 on the site after construction was supposed to be a temporary solution, new parking spaces have not been created so far. For the elderly, sick, or disabled, traversing the road from the car to the building becomes an insurmountable obstacle.   Examples of mismanaged and underutilized parking lots can be multiplied, underscoring the urgent need for thoughtful design and strategic planning. These spaces, often neglected, not only cause valuable urban land to be wasted but also contribute to increased traffic congestion and environmental degradation. By taking a forward-thinking approach to managing parking lots near institutions, cities can transform these areas into multifunctional spaces that are useful around the clock.

While digitization offers promising solutions for urban mobility management, it is not a cure for all parking issues. A comprehensive understanding of parking lot operations is crucial. Despite adherence to technical design requirements, difficulties such as insufficient spaces, underutilized corporate parking lots, unclear signage, and unrepaired pavements still exist. Solving these problems requires a multifaceted approach that combines technological advances with practical modifications for parking spaces to create more efficient and human-friendly urban environments.

¹ Myszura, M. (2016). Miejsca postojowe dla samochodów osobowych – formalności i wymagania techniczne. https://oprawiebudowlanym.pl/2016/03/miejsca-postojowe‑dla-samochodow.html. [access: 18.09.2024]
² Ibidem.
³ Myszura, M. (2018). Parkingi – wymiary stanowisk postojowych. https://oprawiebudowlanym.pl/2018/02/parkingi-wymiary-stanowisk-postojowych.html. [access: 18.09.2024]
⁴ Wielgo, M. (2017). Nowe wymiary miejsca parkingowego w garażu: tysiące projektów architektonicznych do przeróbki? https://www.muratorplus.pl/biznes/prawo/nowe‑wymiary-miejsca-parkingowego-tysiace‑projektow-architektonicznych-do-przerobki-aa-1ADK-wpUR-R11F.html. [access: 18.09.2024]
⁵ Lower, A., Szumilas, A. (2021). Parking policy as a tool of sustainable mobility-parking standards in poland vs. European experiences. Sustainability, 13(20), 11330.
⁶ Ibidem.
⁷ Cotrone, V. (2022). Green Parking Lots: Mitigating Climate Change and the Urban Heat Island. https://extension.psu.edu/green-parking-lots-mitigating-climate‑change‑and-the‑urban-heat-island. [access: 20.09.2024]
⁸ portEl. (2023). Na Komeńskiego ma być bezpieczniej. https://www.portel.pl/wiadomosci/na-komenskiego-ma-byc-bezpieczniej/137271. [access: 20.09.2024]
⁹ Dunaj, K. (2022). Gdańsk: wielopoziomowy parking w UCK. Pacjenci skarżą się na stan aktualnego, który stanowi zagrożenie. https://dziennikbaltycki.pl/gdansk-wielopoziomowy-parking-w-uck-pacjenci-skarza-sie‑na-stan-aktualnego-ktory-stanowi-zagrozenie/ar/c4-16320491. [access: 20.09.2024]
parking spots, parking spaces requirements, congestion, corporate parking lots
Joanna Nowak
Junior Content Writer
Former student of English Philology with specializations in Translation Studies and Natural Language Processing. A passionate book lover and a proud mother of a puppy-hearted dog and a cuddly cat who often keep her company during her writing sessions.

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