The conundrum of the car park

Whenever city centre areas are being redesigned, there arises a debate on car parking provisions and measures to promote cyclists, pedestrians or public transport users. A major rationale for the supply of parking spaces in retail business areas is that customers won’t come without them. Businesses believe that most consumers arrive by car and believe that the availability of parking plays a major role in choosing a destination. It is easy to understand this view. However, interestingly, there is clear evidence from many cities around the world proving otherwise.

A review for London councils in 2012 concluded that retailers vastly overestimate the role that parking plays in their success. In fact, the study found that more people reach town centres by public transport, walking or biking than by car. The same conclusion was observed by another study conducted by Sustrans in Bristol.

The study by Sustrans also shows that there is a wide gap between retailer perception and shopper reality. It found that the retailers overestimate how far their customers travel and underestimate how many shops each customer visits. The figures suggest that many car-borne shoppers are “drive-thru” shoppers, stopping to pick up one item on the way to their eventual destination, rather than people for whom shopping is their main purpose for visiting the area. Studies in London and Halifax also found that nearly 30% of the on-street parking spaces are occupied by employees of businesses in the area.

A 2011 survey in London found that those who walked were most likely to visit a shopping centre at least five times a week (50 percent). Those who biked (37 percent) or took a bus (27 percent) were also more frequent shoppers than those who drove (14 percent). Despite those figures, retailers continue to believe more people drove than actually did. They fail to see the many downsides of excessive parking like congestion and low shopper turnover. They may not also realise that while driving customers spend more per visit, non-drivers spend as much or more in the long term. Based on a London review, in an average month, car shoppers spend £226, while walkers spent £373 and those who arrived by transit also spent more than car shoppers. In a research conducted in Melbourne, Australia, it was found that drivers spent more per hour than individual cyclists, but because six bikes can fit into a single parking space, the total hourly spend is nearly four times more than car drivers and it would be an economic gain to use that space for bicycles instead. Pedestrians and cyclists also tend to make frequent visits and it is easier for them to pop in unplanned.

Everyone enjoys shopping in an environment free from the noise, speed, pollution and threat of motor traffic. Based on the London review, when shoppers were asked what brings them to a particular commercial centre, they rated mix of stores and general atmosphere more highly than parking and accessibility. Range of shops and amount of traffic were the most important shopping factors, with only 6% citing parking. The review also points out that additional parking might increase congestion and thereby reduce the attractiveness of a retail centre.

A study in Philadelphia shows that sales records from businesses adjacent to temporary parklets in car parking spaces went up about 20% immediately after the parks were installed. This was because the parklets attracted more people and the car parking space was able to accommodate a lot more people than a single car suggesting that the extra footfall and the outdoor attraction was a boon for business.

Promoting pedestrian and non-driving shoppers is also a picture of healthy, physically active, sustainable green lifestyle and a valuable addition to the quality of life. This is what urban planners and city leaders want to achieve.

These evidences indicate that it would be advantageous to local businesses to support measures aimed at attracting more pedestrians and other modes of shoppers to the local shopping centre rather than car users. Major investment in the walking environment, such as wider pavements, removal of obstructions, resurfacing works, addition of attractive landscape features, provision of street furniture, creation of shared surfaces and traffic restraint measures, will have a positive impact on retailers and customers alike.