Brisbane-based <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/red-co">Red &amp; Co Developments</a> has officially launched its $250million COMO apartment development in Varsity Lakes, while simultaneously commencing construction.&nbsp;

Building work is now underway at COMO following the appointment of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/5point-projects">5Point Projects</a> as contractor to deliver the boutique development which will rise on a 2857 sqm site overlooking Lake Orr at 22 Lake Street.

When completed, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/como-varsity-lakes-22-lake-street-varsity-lakes-qld-4227">COMO</a> will comprise 156 apartments across 16 levels located in the heart of Varsity Lakes.

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The project, which will sit alongside Bond University, will deliver a diverse array of apartment designs comprising one-, two- and three-bedroom residences that have already attracted interest from local and interstate investors as well as an array of owner occupiers looking to gain a foothold in the precinct.

Red &amp; Co, which has largely focused on the Brisbane market in recent years where it has delivered more than 500 apartments and townhouses across 26 projects, has designed COMO to combine tranquil, lakeside living with the vibrant urban convenience of the vibrant Varsity Lakes village.

“We’re thrilled to announce a start to construction of COMO in conjunction with the official launch of the project, our first for the Gold Coast,” said Red &amp; Co Director and Co-Founder David Laverty.

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“COMO is superbly positioned to capture the essence of the Varsity Lakes village lifestyle and its thriving café and dining precinct, while delivering a much-needed diverse supply of premium residences for the local market.

“Pre-launch inquiries have been strong among both local and interstate investors and owner-occupiers, including downsizers and upgraders who appreciate the value proposition that COMO represents.”

Prices at COMO start from $1,000,050.

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>, the COMO development incorporates an extensive range of amenities for residents including a 25-metre rooftop lap pool, sundeck, barbecue and dining areas, as well as multiple rooftop pickleball and paddleball courts, a wellness and activity centre, gym, sauna, plunge baths and landscaped gardens.

“COMO presents a rare opportunity to secure a stylish, lifestyle-focused home in one of the Gold Coast’s most sought-after neighbourhoods,” added Laverty.

“The rooftop will be the epicentre of fun for residents with an array of amenities for residents that are quite unique for a boutique project such as this, all while offering spectacular vistas across the Gold Coast as far north as Southport and south to Burleigh.”

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&nbsp;

Red &amp; Co has chosen the Varsity Lakes site for its proximity to top-tier schools, major shopping hubs, such as Robina Town Centre and its CBD offering, as well as key Gold Coast transport links, including Varsity Lakes Train Station.

COMO will be located just a short walk to shops, cafes and restaurants in Varsity Lakes and just a 10-minute drive to the Burleigh Heads beachfront.

With construction currently underway, Red &amp; Co anticipates COMO will be completed in 2028.

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Joel Robinson

Red & Co to launch debut Gold Coast development Como Varsity Lakes as construction commences

Longstanding Gold Coast developer Raptis has acquired a prime development site on Surf Parade for its next Broadbeach apartment project.

Progressing towards completion of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-sterling-broadbeach-6-8-george-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Sterling Broadbeach</a>, 90 apartments on nearby George Avenue, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/raptis">Raptis</a>, led by second-generation family man Evan Raptis, has picked up a block on the corner of Surf Parade and First Avenue.

The site had been earmarked for a luxury apartment project with 33 full-floor apartments across a 37-storey tower. Raptis will go back to the drawing board and create a building more appropriate for the site. The development application will be lodged later this month.

Evan Raptis told Apartments.com.au the site ticks all the boxes.

"Broadbeach is a suburb we've developed several buildings over the years. Surf Parade ticks all the boxes for the type of apartment development we want to deliver."

Raptis had several pre-lodgement meetings with council to ensure they are aligned in the development.

<img alt="Raptis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0d58573-07a4-47a8-9f5e-fbf35fb03dc3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-03-05%20at%204.58.23%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=iczZEd_4_o4UL0PHMPJGfy_q3tv96J5i" />

Surf Parade has emerged in recent years as one of the most popular streets in Broadbeach for development.

South East Queensland developer Mosaic Property Group kicked it off with Marella by Mosaic. Bassar Group sold out Infinity on the street, while for its&nbsp;first Gold Coast development, Polycell grabbed a Surf Parade site for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-rochester-broadbeach-143-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Rochester</a>, which is nearly sold out.

Melbourne-based developer Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched its fourth Gold Coast project on the exclusive strip. The Eveleigh Broadbeach will have 100 apartments across a 31-storey building designed by Rothelowman.

GV Property Group site development specialists Antonio Mercuri and Luke Reaby, who both amalgamate sites and sell shovel-ready sites to developers up and down the Gold Coast, sold Surf Parade to Raptis.

Raptis secures prime Surf Parade site for next Broadbeach apartment development

Less than two years after breaking ground, Gardner Vaughan Group is celebrating the topping out of Bask, its second development in the exclusive coastal enclave of Bokarina on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.&nbsp;

Located only minutes from the beachfront, the two seven-storey luxury apartment towers, known individually as Mydas and Caretta, offer a selection of one-to-four-bedroom residences with views of Lake Kawana, the Glasshouse Mountains, and Bokarina Beach.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333359]

Gardner Vaughan Group Commercial Director Sam Gardner said the milestone marks the home stretch for construction, with first residents expected to be able to move in from Spring 2026.&nbsp;

“This is a significant milestone in bringing this development to life and represents our confidence in this region’s long-term growth and appeal,” Gardner said.&nbsp;

“With 85 per cent of apartments already sold, buyers are joining an established, coastal village that offers the very best of the Sunshine Coast – seasonally patrolled surf beaches, renowned restaurants, and links to established health and retail.&nbsp;

“The final collection of three- and four- bedroom apartments range in size from 127sqm to 300sqm, each with two or three secure car parks and storage, and with construction fast approaching completion we don’t expect the last few apartments to remain on the market for long.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333362]

Local restaurateur Luke Stringer, who co-owns and manages the award-winning Bocca Italian and Playa Mexican restaurants in Bokarina, has lived in the beachside suburb for 18 months and worked there for more than three years, and said the beachside suburb was thriving.&nbsp;

“It’s fair to say Bokarina is finally stepping into the sun and there’s a lot to love about the place,"&nbsp;Stringer said.

"It’s such a great community, where you see the same smiling faces every morning and everything’s within easy reach – it’s the perfect hub in the middle of the Sunshine Coast.

“When we first opened Bocca Italian, we were the lone restaurant, but it’s been amazing to see how the area has grown. The more venues that open, the busier it gets for everyone. When Playa Mexican opened its first Saturday night, Bocca had a record night and Playa was packed too, which blew us away how everyone is thriving.&nbsp;

“There’s a great energy around the place now, and people are really embracing Bokarina as a food and lifestyle destination.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=363368]

Stringer joined other buyers at Bask Bokarina and the Gardner Vaughan Group team to celebrate the topping out at a special event in February.&nbsp;

Located in Kawana Waters, midway between Caloundra and Maroochydore, Bokarina locals enjoy scenic walking paths around Lake Kawana, playgrounds, beachfront boardwalk and parklands, alongside all the convenience of a masterplanned beachside community.&nbsp;

“You see people jogging or swimming in the morning, then grabbing coffee at the cafes, people are really embracing the area and all this growth is bringing more people to Bokarina,” Stringer added.&nbsp;

To take advantage of the vistas, each of the 135 apartments at Bask is designed with full size windows and high ceilings that provide an abundance of natural light.&nbsp;

Prices for the remaining three-bedroom apartments start at $1,599,000 and four-bedroom apartments start at $3,149,000.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=363369]

The mixed-use development also features ground-level retail space for cafés, dining options and boutiques, including the soon-to-be-opened ‘Corner Shop’, by the team behind Noosa’s well known ‘Organika’.

Sam Gardner said Gardner Vaughan Group’s 37-year history building and developing across South East Queensland has contributed to the success of its second development in Bokarina, which follows the recently completed Zinc Apartments.&nbsp;

“We care how people live and this is reflected in the way we approach the design and delivery of every development,” he said. “Furthermore, as a builder-developer we have full control over the construction program and our 100 per cent completion rate is something people can draw confidence from.”&nbsp;

Founded by civil engineers Guy Gardner and Darryl Vaughan in 1989, the family-owned business has evolved from a consultancy firm to an award-winning builder-developer, with projects across the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=141609]

Gardner Vaughan Group tops out Bask Bokarina apartments

Prolific Melbourne developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> has launched its fourth new Gold Coast development in as many years.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a>, led by Daniel Faigen and backed by Eddie Hirsch, co-founder of United Petroleum, has unveiled The Eveleigh, on a prime 1,100 sqm site at 7-9 Surf Parade in the heart of Broadbeach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a> will deliver 100 apartments across 31 levels, making it the company’s largest Gold Coast project to date. It builds on the success of its three earlier developments, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/hemingway-1267-1273-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach">The Hemingway in Palm Beach</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/emerson-kirra-100-musgrave-street-coolangatta">The Emerson at Kirra</a>, both completed, and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/yves-mermaid-beach-7-9-mermaid-avenue-mermaid-beach">Yves Mermaid Beach</a>, which is nearing completion.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

The announcement of The Eveleigh affirms the company’s sustained confidence in the Gold Coast market which continues to remain undersupplied. It also increases the value of Hirsch &amp; Fa​igen’s Gold Coast development portfolio to more than $700 million since the company first entered the market in 2021 with Hemingway.

The company has enlisted its preferred architecture firm Rothelowman to design The Eveleigh, which will offer a thoughtfully curated lifestyle, including a substantial wellness precinct, communal recreation areas, children’s play spaces, work-from-home facilities, and shared lounge and dining areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

Designed for the prime market demographic of downsizers and interstate lifestyle investors in mind, The Eveleigh has been crafted to offer an increasingly rare blend of affordable luxury in a tightly held market. Uniquely positioned in the heart of the Gold Coast’s most sought-after lifestyle suburb of Broadbeach, the project will also boast uninterrupted beach and hinterland views.

The Surf Parade site is just a short walk to the bustling Broadbeach dining and retail precinct, Pacific Fair, The Star Gold Coast and convention centre, and an easy stroll to Kurrawa Beach and the recreational amenity of Pratten Park on the Broadbeach foreshore.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360975]

“We’re excited to be proceeding with our fourth project on the Gold Coast in what is certain to become the new luxury precinct in Broadbeach,” says Anthony Bueti, the CFO of Hirsch &amp;a​mp; Faigen and a shareholder of the group.

“With the likes of Mosa​ic and Abedian &amp;a​mp; Co also launching quality projects in the area, the transformation will cement Broadbeach as the premier lifestyle and amenity suburb on the Gold Coast.

"After four years in the Gold Coast market, and with three successful projects completed, The Eveleigh is the product of everything we have learned to love about the Gold Coast and it will be an incredible addition to our growing portfolio in one of the most vibrant property markets in the country. We continue to remain very confident in the high-end Gold Coast property market.”

Urban Activation Director Matt George is handling sales for The Eveleigh, having sold out The Emerson, The Hemingway, and Yves, all before construction was completed.

Melbourne builder MAXCON has already commenced construction on The Eveleigh. They are forecasting a mid-2028 completion.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Hirsch & Faigen unveils The Eveleigh in Broadbeach

Two years after securing development approval for the final stage of its award-winning Thornton Precinct on the doorstep of Penrith Station, Urban Property Group is set to launch <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/mayfair-on-penrith-172-lord-sheffield-circuit-penrith-nsw-2750">Mayfair on Penrith</a>, around 400 apartments designed to reflect two of Sydney’s most iconic structures.

The builder-developer has continued refining the design plans for the two-building development on a significant 8,280 sqm site on Sheffield Circuit, recognising the importance of the prime parcel as one of the closest developable sites to the station.

UPG enlisted architecture firm SJB to design the project. The team said they drew inspiration from both the General Post Office in Martin Place and East Circular Quay to help shape the design. The two-level colonnade, in particular, reflects the famous GPO building, which dates back to the 1860s.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362014]

There will be one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments on offer, with interiors by Cox Architecture. Residences will sit above a retail podium featuring hospitality and lifestyle operators such as One Playground and Volcano’s Steakhouse, contributing to an activated ground plane within the broader Thornton precinct.

A communal rooftop with a pool and views towards the Blue Mountains will provide shared open space for residents. The development is positioned between Ron Mulock Oval and Westfield Penrith, with the Nepean River and Great River Walk also nearby, placing daily amenity and green space within walking distance.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362015]

Mayfair is being delivered by Urban Property Group, a family-owned developer and builder with nearly 40 years’ experience across Sydney. The project will be the first in Penrith to be offered with Resilience Insurance’s 10-year Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) policy, which Urban Property Group has adopted across a number of its recent developments. The developer also has a 4.5-star iCIRT rating, one of the best ratings in market providing further confidence to buyers.

Urban Property Group CEO Patrick Elias said providing additional assurance to off-the-plan buyers has become increasingly important.

“Anything we can do to give confidence in our product is a plus,” Elias told Apartments.com.au.

“Consumers are a lot more weary and a lot more concerned in buying off the plan than they ever have been. They’re making their single large investment, which is their home, and providing confidence is something that we feel is paramount.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362020]

The LDI policy provides a 10-year warranty covering structural defects, with independent inspections carried out during construction and protection for owners if defects arise post-completion.

Mayfair represents Urban Property Group’s sixth and final development within Thornton, consolidating the masterplanned precinct immediately east of the station.

The developer, which builds its own projects, has already commenced construction. SRM Residential is handling the sales campaign.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=136726]

Urban Property Group to close the curtain on award-winning Thornton precinct with Mayfair on Penrith release

Car parking

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The respected developer DealCorp have seen a quick take up of their unique promotion of offering their apartment buyers a chance to secure a further parking spot for just $1.

It's in their contemporary McKinnon apartment development MCKN in Melbourne's Glen Eira district, south-east of the CBD.

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While marketing was underway, MCKN's project team went back to re-design some apartments in line with local demand and were able to secure additional carparking.

The two bedroom, two bathroom apartments were offered the parking spaces for $1.

<a href="/news/vic/why-families-are-snapping-up-apartments-in-mckinnons-mckn-development">Read more: Why families are snapping up apartments in McKinnon's MCKN development</a>

“Understanding buyer demand and being agile is what DealCorp prides itself on", DealCorp marketing manager Laurelle Kobritz says.

"The market surrounding McKinnon is sophisticated and aware of incentives, so we needed to offer a stand out offer buyers couldn’t refuse if they were considering MCKN."

There's now just one car park remaining from the promotion, which DealCorp expect will be snapped up before the promotion closes at the end of the month.

DealCorp have secured around 70 per cent of sales already at MCKN, the boutique apartment development of just 41 on Jasper Road.

<a href="/new-apartments/mckn-236-jasper-road-mckinnon"><img alt="" height="790" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/mckn_2_0.jpg" width="1200"></a>

Spanning five levels, MCKN has been designed by the award-winning architect RITZ&amp;GHOUGASSIAN to pay homage to the functional designs of the neighbouring architecture.

The façade is a bold, textured surface of fluted concrete panels, which guide flourishing young shoots up the building’s exterior.

It's been a hit with families or prospective families so far due to the size of each apartment and its proximity to McKinnon Secondary College, one of the state’s highest ranked schools.

Completion is slated for August 2021, with the well regarded construction firm Hamilton Marino Builders handling the build.

 
</body></html>

While marketing was underway, MCKN's project team went back to re-design some apartments in line with local demand and were able to secure additional carparking

DealCorp see success in unique $1 car space giveaway at McKinnon apartment development MCKN

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Cars have become a basic necessity of life. While many Australians are opting for public transport, cars are still required for many industries such as taxi and delivery services, as well as for those where other modes of transport are not easily accessible or a viable option.

While the phasing out of disposable coffee cups is quickly becoming a reality, the likelihood of phasing out car-use is proving to be a far trickier challenge.  

Accessibility of car parking in the CBD is becoming an increasing problem throughout Australia, both the lack of parking spaces available, as well as the impact idle cars and empty parking lots have on a city – both aesthetically and environmentally.

Focusing particularly on the environmental impact, perhaps we need to consider how we can better utilise parking space in the city.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/mark-boss-kjzdedputke-unsplash.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="812" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mark-boss-kjzdedputke-unsplash.jpg?itok=Egr7_vvd" width="580"></a></figure><h2>Are the car parks in our cities even being used?</h2>

While we may feel there are never enough parking spaces, Australian census data tells us that there are. 

Cities are abundant with parking spaces because minimum parking policies exist. These policies specify the minimum number of parking spaces a dwelling can include with any property sale. For example, the Western Australian State Planning Policy specifies that for every one-bedroom apartment, there must be <a href="https://www.dplh.wa.gov.au/getmedia/5926602c-ab14-46f0-be6f-56dc31c45902/SPP-7-3-R-Codes-Apartments">at least 0.75-1 parking bays</a>. The policy also states that there must be at least one visitor parking space for every four dwellings. 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2019-12-17_at_1.31.25_pm.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Western Australia Planning Commission"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="277" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2019-12-17_at_1.31.25_pm.png?itok=xJJq2P0S" title="Credit: Western Australia Planning Commission" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: Western Australia Planning Commission</figcaption></figure>In Perth, only <a href="https://profile.id.com.au/perth/car-ownership">18% of residents</a> have access to at least one vehicle, resulting in many car parking spaces left unused. In the City of Melbourne, despite having more than 215,000 parking spaces available, approximately <a href="https://profile.id.com.au/perth/car-ownership">one-third are not used every day</a>. 

As well as taking up what could be better-utilised space, empty car parking spaces add to a city’s urban heat, known as Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE). UHIE refers to the amount of heat emitted by man-made structures such as concrete and asphalt. Car parks are a major contributor to a city’s urban heat rating and the higher the rating, the hotter the city. 

Public transport in most inner-city suburbs of Australia’s capital cities is well established and reliable. To help mitigate the impact of the UHIE and challenges faced by empty car parking spaces, developers can reconsider including car parking in their developments, encouraging the use of public transport instead. Leading the change is <a href="/architects/breathe-architecture">Breathe Architecture</a>, with their subsidiary project <a href="/developers/nightingale-housing">Nightingale Housing</a>. Their innovative approach to removing a minimum parking requirement for their housing developments was supported by the City of Moreland.

<blockquote>
Council’s recent decision to continue support of the planning scheme amendment is a positive step as we work to address the challenges of population growth impacts for our community, including traffic congestion and maintaining the liveability of Moreland. 

The amendment is an important part of the implementation of the Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy actions. The expert independent panel, appointed by the Minister for Planning, will now consider this groundbreaking initiative, which has the potential to discourage oversupply of onsite parking in Moreland’s Activity Centres. 

Nightingale projects and other affordable housing projects are located in Council’s Major Activity Centres, which are well served by public transport. Removing existing minimum parking requirements and adopting maximum parking provisions provides increased housing choice in Moreland, offering a new housing opportunity that relies on sustainable transport instead of car parking.
</blockquote>

Kirsten Coster, Director <a href="https://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/about-us/future-moreland/">City Futures</a>

<h2>Future Focus: How can we mitigate the negative impacts of car use in our cities?</h2>

We recently spoke with urban planning students from the University of Western Australia who shared their thoughts on the future of car parking in Perth. Many voiced the need to improve public transport accessibility and increase green spaces in the city.

One student commented that while there is a minimum limit on parking spaces, a maximum should be implemented too. 

<blockquote>
“Definitely place a maximum limit on parking spaces. Developers should think more broadly about how people get to places rather than assuming vehicles are the default method. Developments should only be undertaken when a robust understanding of the transport network is complete and high-density projects should only occur along major public transport corridors.”
</blockquote>

Another student commented that block parking is unattractive and should be reconsidered.

<blockquote>
“Vacant block parking is ugly, cars look like they've been abandoned and are not nearly parked in bays…”
</blockquote>

This argument was countered by another student who believed block parking was the best way to avoid parking sprawl within the city.

<blockquote>
“Multi-storey would be most practical, as it would use a small block footprint.” 
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/seb-zurcher-eoq4dj33g_u-unsplash.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/seb-zurcher-eoq4dj33g_u-unsplash.jpg?itok=EZ0jtq9H" width="580"></a></figure>Improved public transport infrastructure reduces the number of cars on the road and increases foot traffic. More green spaces can also help mitigate the UHIE and offers inviting spaces for community cohesion. 

<blockquote>
“Ideally cities (including Perth) shouldn’t be subject to massive urban sprawl, and driving wouldn’t be the main form of transportation; public transport would be more accessible and easier.”
</blockquote>

These are great steps, but we still need parking spaces, as many are reliant on them to conduct their daily activities. Parking spaces are especially important for individuals with disabilities, families with small children and those in the delivery service industry. Therefore, rather than removing car parking altogether, perhaps it is time to consider alternative uses for car parking spaces?

<h2>Electric car charging stations</h2>

Electric vehicles are not only cheaper to run (approximately <a href="https://electricvehiclecouncil.com.au/">$0.33 per e-litre</a> as compared to approximately $1.50 per litre for fuel) but are significantly better for the environment. According to the Electric Vehicle Council, if everyone in Australia drove an electric car, we <a href="https://electricvehiclecouncil.com.au/about-ev/key-facts/">could reduce our greenhouse emissions by 6%</a>. 

Charging stations for electric cars are slowly becoming more widely available. New apartment developments could consider adding charging stations to their car parking spaces in order to encourage residents to make the switch to electricity-powered vehicles. Many apartments already offer this service successfully, including some <a href="/buildings/east-brunswick-village-3-bluestone-way-brunswick-east">currently under construction</a> that will be incorporating charging stations into their plans. There aren’t many newly built apartments in Western Australia with charging stations, but the state offers a <a href="https://rac.com.au/travel-touring/maps-and-guides/ev-chargers">wealth of charging stations</a>, particularly in Perth. 

<h2>Car sharing</h2>

Many Australians are opting to not own a car, turning to car sharing alternatives for the occasions where they need a car. Car sharing services such as <a href="/guides/weekly-podcast-episode-28-gogets-justin-passaportis-and-joshua-brydges">GoGet</a>, Flexicar and Car Next Door are increasing in popularity as they are perfect for short and occasional trips. 

<blockquote>
“[Cars will not be] required since all cars will be ‘taxis’ that is not privately owned but a shared resource - readily available and in constant use.”
</blockquote>

Car sharing pods are constantly popping up throughout Australian cities, with some parking stations converting two or three spaces into car share only parks. Apartment developments are doing this too. When purchasing off-the-plan, buyers have the option to purchase a parking space. By opting in or out of a car park, more spaces are made available for alternative options such as car sharing. In conjunction with the car-sharing company, developers offer residents a generous discount to encourage its usage. 

In a double win for car-sharing and electric vehicle use, ICD Property is leading the charge, <a href="/news/australia-welcomes-first-ever-electric-car-sharing-service">offering Australia’s first electric car-sharing service</a> in their Eq. Tower in Melbourne. 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/eq_tower_setup_plus_cars.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/eq_tower_setup_plus_cars.jpg?itok=-JWi52mm" width="580"></a></figure><h2>Repurposing existing/disused spaces</h2>

As apartment living becomes more popular, accessibility to green spaces is also essential to the health and wellbeing of residents. By repurposing completely empty car parks into green spaces, a city’s air quality could improve, reducing its urban heat rating and boost community cohesion. Recently, following <a href="https://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/Development/Council-Projects/Prahran-Square/About-the-project">extensive community consultation</a>, the City of Stonnington in Melbourne <a href="https://landscapeaustralia.com/articles/lyons-and-aspect-studios-to-transform-melbourne-carpark-into-public-park-1/#">converted a 9,000 square-metre car park</a> into a vibrant public park, Cato Square – delivered by Kane Constructions. Whilst car parking spaces are still available, the conversion has enabled Stonnington residents to meet and engage with one another, fostering a stronger community spirit.

<div class="rtecenter"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UimGE1sqQyg" width="560"></iframe></div>

The University of Western Australia students also commented on the importance of prioritising the environment and human health over parking and car-use and suggested repurposing disused parking spaces for green infrastructure.

<blockquote>
“The benefits are clean air, cooler temperature, increased mental health and wellbeing. Jobs growth in the horticultural sector.”
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
“[Plant] more local flora and [create] tiny public parks; better for us and the environment. Having small cafes along the sidewalks allowing for more local businesses to flourish and a variety of food and drink to be presented to the public.”
</blockquote>

Car parks, especially single- or multi-storey parking stations, aren’t necessarily empty all the time. Those situated in the city may be full during the working day and vacant after 5 pm or over the weekend. These can become multi-use spaces, becoming a vibrant music scene at night or a bustling market on a Saturday. For example, located in the heart of Melbourne’s Fitzroy, The Fitzroy Mills is a farmer’s market located in a car park left empty over the weekend. 

<blockquote>
“Turning parking spaces into temporary event spaces - movies, food trucks, markets etc. Increases the vibrancy of the city as things are happening.”
</blockquote>

Owners corporations could also consider opening unused private parking spaces to the public, reducing on-street parking*.

Ultimately, if the takeaway coffee industry can disrupt the status-quo with reusable cups that we now faithfully carry, then cities can rethink how parking spaces are utilised in order to improve our environment and better our sense of community.

*Would you consider renting your carpark? Let us know in the comments below.

Thank you to the University of Western Australia students who shared their thoughts on the future of car parking in Perth. Australia is in excellent hands with you as our future urban planners.
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University of Western Australia students discuss disrupting the car parking status quo in Perth

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EXPERT OBSERVERS
Car parking occupies a large proportion of urban areas, and cities cannot keep sacrificing so much space to meet demand. 
While car parking was a non-negotiable amenity for baby boomers, it is an eyesore to millennials and the up-and-coming iGen. Newer generations want more city and <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/11/13/millennials-unhappily-stuck-in-their-parents-transportation-system/" target="_blank">fewer cars</a>. Globally, scrapping car parking is the latest trend in urban planning.
Between 2010 and 2015, Philadelphia <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/sep/27/cities-eliminating-car-parks-parking" target="_blank">removed 3,000 off-street parking spaces</a> from its city centre. Copenhagen is <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/07/110713-cutting-down-on-city-parking/" target="_blank">following the same path</a>. Zurich has implemented a <a href="https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S2044-994120140000005017" target="_blank">city-wide cap to llimit parking spaces</a> to 1990s levels.
Amsterdam has announced it will remove parking spaces at a rate of 1,500 a year. The city’s 2025 goal is to eliminate <a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/03/amsterdam-cars-parking-spaces-bike-lanes-trees-green-left/586108/" target="_blank">more than 11,000 parking spaces</a> from its streets to make space for cycling.
San Francisco and New York have adopted the <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/07/110713-cutting-down-on-city-parking/" target="_blank">concept of “parklets”</a>. These are mini parks or outdoor café seating areas that temporarily replace a few parking spots during low-demand periods.
The theory is that as the amount of parking decreases, the appeal of driving gives way to more environmentally friendly transport modes such as walking, cycling, ride-hailing, car pooling and public transport.
Some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856408000657" target="_blank">evidence</a> suggests reducing or capping parking pays off. In cities that have implemented these measures, driving has declined and public transport use has increased.
<h2>What’s happening in Australia?</h2>
Among the largest Australian cities, Brisbane seems to be going backwards. The Courier Mail recently published a <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fquestnews%2Fsoutheast%2Fparked-out-suburban-streets-become-oneway-thoroughfares%2Fnews-story%2Fb83f4255072633bb67e57805abbaf9ad%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3wsfXqhstnSA1rG0tceAFCcM2F-Ggn6XO8KUaHEpmG8wGrzwP0d1u7dsc&amp;h=AT0dQKoaMy4zmmWh8oipmADa_mZcUKwQFAu948C-diA36GnT1oH9BGP6v3EqIwSXYgz6QkmIojmp-bIsqdbZ7NWPA5BOehuRCVg_NWUmulMg9fXHs9k-3Af5-kqs9iRGeFJPggJ9LZBI-TfZZyMb-fjTCv-CFV-SVoZ-_ZKhVHoUc5xBIeuhi2kiQPCYYxXk9LY8Vg1wPDAzwHMltpJCfgVxq4ZYyqrVaS0-5Lccw-3iec8nK9plYhw84O87BBdq2gz2sKY0hEkl_xp-U4yuX5MW516YTEavIpiGEDcy_sTZSfCkpTwG5I5UbTYegNSjOx1dm4dwx6PRNWy4biy_M5iyqD1TtyyDAi77A_oaVhr4Kixhoaf1ENp4V-ievUGwXgfmev9xbBsWG0F0SM0ZjkA9jvX50VHiQLh0UoSVz-BlJnjRaM1aox2GOHcxufDSaiOOmwTUmksyp0fXdtuRUO9QqUoSbw2-jvEBOkzSeMJsVHqCw7GIJjHszjaOMJH-ITgVHSdxo4iG_Ixk6i_ysbJwmFvUuubR3Pz406YIX6zGpIJSn7tGhH2q9INg6Jh0B06UY1TNqRlE2Pgs1U9q3Mi1Zj2vje9utYldmc58fyYdfKXB2TEw2u_iYcYm6XvzePm20_BWIg" target="_blank">story</a> stating that:
Suburban streets in two Brisbane suburbs have become all-day car parks as the new residents of apartments are forced to resort to on-street parking.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285252/original/file-20190723-91864-fu73f8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""> Some on-street parking in Brisbane suburbs is occupied much of the day. Neil Sipe, Author provided
In response to such sentiments, <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/a-car-park-for-every-bedroom-council-proposes-new-apartment-plan-20190604-p51ucx" target="_blank">Brisbane City Council proposes</a> to increase the number of parking spaces required for future apartment buildings across the middle and outer suburbs. Parking increases have been framed as adding to the quality of life and safety of Brisbane suburbs.
Unfortunately, Brisbane does not track the existing supply of residential parking. This lack of clarity has created an imbalance of parking supply and provides opportunities for a sharing economy of parking. Operators such as <a href="https://www.parkhound.com.au/" target="_blank">Parkhound</a> and <a href="https://kerb.works/australia/brisbane" target="_blank">KERB</a> enable residents to lease their unused parking while their neighbours exhaust the public supply of on-street parking.
Meanwhile, Sydney has officially <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/city-of-sydney-officially-declares-climate-emergency-20190625-p520zd" target="_blank">declared a “climate emergency”</a>, following the lead of global cities including <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/05/nyregion/climate-emergency-nyc" target="_blank">New York</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/11/london-mayor-sadiq-khan-city-climate-emergency" target="_blank">London</a> (and then <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk-becomes-first-country-to-declare-a-climate-emergency-116428" target="_blank">all of the UK</a>), <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/climate-change-news/auckland-latest-council-to-declare-climate-emergency/" target="_blank">Auckland</a> and <a href="https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/climate-emergency-response.aspx" target="_blank">Vancouver</a> (followed by <a href="https://theconversation.com/cognitive-dissonance-canada-declares-a-national-climate-emergency-and-approves-a-pipeline-119151" target="_blank">Canada</a>). While applauded by environmentalists, this declaration does not come with a firm commitment to reduce driving or parking.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285052/original/file-20190722-116562-83xpwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285052/original/file-20190722-116562-83xpwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Many city residents believe they have a right to street parking outside their homes. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/north-melbourne-vicaustraliadec-21st-2018-family-1263505273?src=c8Yv8d-CiY1V9m2qJKw17g-1-18&amp;studio=1" target="_blank">Shuang Li/Shutterstock</a>
Similarly, in Melbourne, outside the CBD – where there are <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/Pages/Ten-year-transport-plan-to-create-more-space-for-people.aspx" target="_blank">plans to reduce parking</a> – there is plenty of free, and largely unmanaged, on-street parking. Residents typically <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649357.2014.929727" target="_blank">believe they are entitled</a> to this parking space.
Clearly, Australian cities are stuck in the old-fashioned “predict and provide” model of parking supply. This <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856499000075" target="_blank">model</a> relies on the idea that there will always be enough parking if every site provides spaces for all residents, staff, customers and visitors during peak demand periods.
While this approach might have been suitable in the postwar period, it is unworkable for today’s growing, congested and warming cities. The challenge for planners is how to accommodate increasing numbers of urban residents within a reasonable distance from work and amenities. Cities are running out of space for cars – be they moving or parked.
Is there a better way?
Certainly. Some cities have begun to set <a href="https://qz.com/1037799/mexico-city-got-rid-of-minimum-parking-requirements-and-other-cities-should-too/" target="_blank">maximum parking standards</a>. In other words, the cities put an upper limit on how many car parks can be provided for a given project. Sometimes these complement minimum parking requirements; in other cases the <a href="https://www.ptcconsultants.co/minimum-parking-requirements-rio/" target="_blank">latter are eliminated</a>.
Selling parking spaces separately from housing units, referred to as “<a href="http://www.thegreatermarin.org/blog/2015/8/8/unbundling-parking-isnt-simple-but-its-worth-it" target="_blank">unbundling</a>”, is another policy that’s becoming popular. It ensures the true cost of car storage is transparent rather than hidden. And it means car-free or one-car households don’t have to pay for parking they don’t need.
Some developers are providing <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/how-the-rise-of-car-sharing-could-slash-property-prices-20190524-p51qog" target="_blank">car-sharing spaces</a> in new construction, instead of individual car parks.
Some employers offer a parking “<a href="https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2017/08/07/cashout-parking-great-little-election-policy/" target="_blank">cash out” option</a> – employees receive a payment in lieu of a parking space. Those employers that continue to offer parking charge fees daily rather than monthly to avoid the “<a href="https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/sunk-cost-fallacy/" target="_blank">sunk cost fallacy</a>” – having paid for parking, employees want to get their money’s worth.
Other useful (but hardly new) planning concepts include the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-30-minute-city-how-do-we-put-the-political-rhetoric-into-practice-56136" target="_blank">30-minute city</a>” and “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2543000918300039" target="_blank">transit-oriented development</a>”. These approaches help reduce the need for driving and parking by concentrating people and land uses around public transport stops and corridors.
Will reducing spaces lead to parking shortages?
People are often concerned that if parking is reduced or capped, this will create a parking shortage. This can be avoided if parking is treated as a key component of the urban transport system and managed in coordination with other elements.
Australian cities need to prepare comprehensive parking strategies at the metropolitan level. These strategies must be integrated with general transport and land use plans. Unfortunately, this is often difficult to achieve because state governments are typically responsible for planning and building the transport system while local governments are responsible for parking.
The impacts of parking reductions on urban citizens need to be offset by providing a higher quality and quantity of public and active transport. This requires substantial investments in public and active transport.
Finally, no parking should be free. Revenues from parking fees should be returned to local communities in the form of improved public amenities.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118393/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/neil-sipe-346144" target="_blank">Neil Sipe</a>, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank">The University of Queensland</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anthony-kimpton-326939" target="_blank">Anthony Kimpton</a>, Postdoctoral research fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank">The University of Queensland</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dorina-pojani-413644" target="_blank">Dorina Pojani</a>, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank">The University of Queensland</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-can-our-cities-do-about-sprawl-congestion-and-pollution-tip-scrap-car-parking-118393" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

What can our cities do about sprawl, congestion and pollution? Tip: scrap car parking

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Half a billion dollars sounds like a lot of money, but that really depends on what you’re spending it on. In Tuesday’s federal budget, the Coalition government announced its <a href="https://theconversation.com/tax-giveaways-in-frydenbergs-back-in-the-black-budget-114177" target="_blank">Commuter Car Park Fund</a>, a A$500 million, 10-year package intended to make it easier for people in the suburbs and regions to drive to their local railway station.
While this is a drop in the ocean compared with the wider transport infrastructure budget, we’re going to use it here as a starting point to run some thought experiments to see if this is the best way to spend our taxes to help people get around.
How much car parking could we buy for $500 million?
The construction cost for a single parking spot can range from <a href="https://www.ptua.org.au/myths/parkride/" target="_blank">A$10,000 for a surface car park to A$68,000 per space in multi-level structures</a>. So, if all the money is spent on surface car parks, the new fund could build 50,000 spaces at railway stations around Australia.
Of course, not all of these spots are going to be in surface parking lots – some will need to be in multi-level parking garages. So, if we built one multi-level space for every five at ground level, the A$500 million earmarked in the budget would buy us 30,000 parking spaces.
Does increased parking increase transit usage?
If these 30,000 park-and-ride spaces at train stations are built, this is unlikely to lead to an increase in transit patronage. It could even <a href="https://humantransit.org/2014/10/basics-the-math-of-park-and-ride" target="_blank">run counter to providing good public transport</a>.
On the day of the 2016 Census, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/036" target="_blank">1,225,668 people used public transport to get to work</a>. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/036" target="_blank">Generously assuming</a> that <a href="https://chartingtransport.com/tag/car-occupancy/" target="_blank">a single car has an average of 1.5 passengers</a>, the Commuter Car Park Fund might enable only 45,000 extra people to access the public transport network. That’s a tiny 4% of the current number of people who travel to work by public transport.
But <a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2013/03/how-park-and-ride-encourages-car-use/5034/" target="_blank">studies</a> show that only a small proportion of park-and-riders had previously commuted by car all the way to their destination. Many are existing passengers who used to walk, cycle, bus or drive to a different station but are now opting to drive to the station with new parking places. Non-commuters working or shopping in nearby activity centres also often use park-and-ride spaces.
There are at least 705 train stations in metropolitan Australia, and it is not clear from the budget papers where these extra parking spaces are going to be placed. Sydney has <a href="https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/documents/2017/Train%20Statistics%202014.pdf" target="_blank">176 train stations</a>, Melbourne has 218, Southeast Queensland has 152, Adelaide has 89, and Perth has 70. Even assuming only 300 stations will need extra parking, that provides an average of only 100 new spaces per station.
More bang for your buck
There are cheaper ways to move an extra 45,000 people a day to and from railway stations and around our cities.
Linking a major university campus with a Skytrain station, Vancouver’s 99 B-Line bus service moves <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/translink#!/vizhome/2017TSPR-BusSummary/TheWorkbook" target="_blank">56,000 passengers a day</a> at a cost of less than C$14 million (A$14.7 million) a year.
Similarly, in Toronto, the Finch West bus service carries <a href="https://www.ttc.ca/Customer_Service/Corporate_Plan/Appendices/Key_facts_and_figures/index.jsp" target="_blank">44,000 passengers a day</a> to and from the subway. The Toronto urban transit network moves <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/8bd3-TTC-2018-Op-Budget-Notes-V1.pdf" target="_blank">more than a million people a day with an annual operating subsidy of C$713 million</a>.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267740/original/file-20190405-123431-1f0fvg4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Passengers transferring from the Metro to a feeder bus in suburban Montreal. Iain Lawrie/University of Melbourne, Author provided
Each of these cities has comparable urban landscapes to suburban Australia, but is able to offer buses to nearby stations every five minutes.
We understand that these costs are not necessarily directly comparable. We provide them though as a point to think about, and so you might begin to ask how our cities could be better configured.
Better land use around train stations?
Alternatives like direct and frequent buses <a href="https://theconversation.com/freeing-up-the-huge-areas-set-aside-for-parking-can-transform-our-cities-85331" target="_blank">could liberate space around our suburban train stations</a>. Around the world, stations are community hubs, and even simple stations can be wonderful, vibrant places for people. The best ones are a pleasure to move through and spend time in, unencumbered by the conflict and noise of space dominated by car traffic.
Building car parks wastes that place potential. Instead, it bakes in the mobility habits and planning prejudices that condemn our public places to being grey deserts, difficult to move through, and keeping out parks, shops, gardens, street life, walkability and human interaction.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267750/original/file-20190405-114908-1qfn7cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Unsealed car parking at Tarneit station in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Paul Fleckney/University of Melbourne, Author provided
Underpinning the futility of the Commuter Car Park Fund is the fact that “demand” for free parking is fundamentally insatiable. Just like urban road space, building more of the wrong infrastructure simply <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3141/2543-19" target="_blank">induces more use and perpetuates congestion</a>.
Parking policy scholars and practitioners have known for decades now that parking demand can be successfully managed, <a href="https://www.foreground.com.au/planning/car-parking-choking-cities/" target="_blank">including via pricing existing parking supply and improving transport alternatives</a>. Pricing and related policies serve as an effective disincentive to people who don’t need to be driving (and parking), freeing up road space for those who do.
Urban congestion is a problem of the quality and connectivity of our public transport network, not just a parking and road space issue. We have long known the policies and mechanisms to shift higher proportions of people to alternatives (and improve conditions for those who need to drive). We still need the funding and the planning capacity to achieve it.
Australia deserves better transport policy and a clearer, better-informed discussion about how its transport funds are being spent.
Nathan Pittman, PhD Candidate in Transportation Planning, University of Melbourne
Crystal Legacy, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Melbourne
John Stone, Senior Lecturer in Transport Planning, University of Melbourne
Rebecca Clements, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/500m-for-station-car-parks-other-transport-solutions-could-do-much-more-for-the-money-114908">original article</a>.
Main photo: With more than a million Australians using public transport to get to work each day, demand for car parking at the station is virtually insatiable. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/philipmallis/46402974731/in/photolist-23RbPF2-Gjsh88-2ekmTqK-bEfVA-EDLrAJ-TgfpQc-M5wkF7-HQRQVf-2aX7ext-23zY5e1-PZ8Qfk-RCDnAd-24Lw2wt-RqYRZD-2dUEmhR-Ng589h-2bQ5kHc-RVZuuK-PWm1gP-SA6aE7-2eWmyh4-P6mmSo-D5GjN-dgxvHq-aF3Lb6-bpCRM-KH53p-259W8Ku-aF7wpU-aF7Ah5-4a9Rot-dpDGsV-cwBpZw-9hKnjZ-5sb8ah-91JveF-GLEnUQ-v74pZ4-uadf16-HaSga7-r8ztRk-6Yj2WA-28mpmu2-HTJjNL-23nR3sx-2dGtnJt-BSC48H-RyFCw3-TdcKuw-23NSTS4">Philip Mallis/flickr</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a>
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

$500 million for station car parks? Other transport solutions could do much more for the money

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EXPERT OBSERVER
How can cities do better?
It’s a familiar story in Australian cities: a new apartment building is proposed, and debate soon follows about whether the new residents will have enough public transport or coffee shops. Just kidding. Heated discussion is almost invariably about how much car parking will be built and whether it will be enough to stop cars swamping surrounding streets. In Melbourne, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649357.2014.929727" target="_blank">hundreds of planning appeals</a> each year centre on this topic.
Our <a href="https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/transportstrategy/car-parking" target="_blank">latest research</a> for the City of Melbourne estimates 25-41% of apartment parking in the inner city is vacant. Yet many people feel finding on-street parking is a struggle worsened by higher-density housing. How can both be so, and how can parking be done better?
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228348/original/file-20180719-142423-bs94pa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="File 20180719 142423 bs94pa.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1">
How many car parks are out there?
Cities contain <a href="https://whatthestreet.moovellab.com" target="_blank">surprisingly large amounts of parking</a>. In some US cities, car parking takes up as much as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17549175.2017.1310743" target="_blank">half of the ground space</a> of central areas. A recent study of five US cities found “car storage has become the primary land use in many city areas”. Des Moines has <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/07/12/american-cities-are-drowning-in-car-storage/" target="_blank">18 times as many parking spaces per hectare as households</a>.
We don’t know exactly how many parking spots there are in most Australian cities. However, the City of Melbourne has <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-melbourne/research-and-statistics/city-economy/census-land-use-employment/Pages/clue.aspx" target="_blank">unusually good data</a> showing at least 217,090 parking spaces in inner Melbourne. Off-street parking totalled 4.1 million square metres, or 12% of total floor space in the municipality.
It’s harder to come by data on how parking space is used. Comparing 2016 <a href="http://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/LGA24600?opendocument" target="_blank">Census data</a> on total car ownership (36,951) in the City of Melbourne to residential parking spaces (49,500) suggests there are 12,549 surplus residential car parking spaces – a 25% vacancy. Another <a href="https://exit.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftrrjournalonline.trb.org%2Fdoi%2Fabs%2F10.3141%2F2537-14" target="_blank">study surveying</a> eight inner Melbourne apartment buildings found car parks were between 30% and 40% empty.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228153/original/file-20180718-142438-f44e41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228153/original/file-20180718-142438-f44e41.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Studies estimate around one-third of inner-city apartment parking spaces in Melbourne are unused. 
Why the excess parking?
Apartment parking is the <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/sitecollectiondocuments/clue-2016-summary-report.pdf" target="_blank">only parking type increasing</a> in inner Melbourne. Yet car parking <a href="https://trrjournalonline.trb.org/doi/abs/10.3141/1685-20" target="_blank">adds to housing construction costs</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10511482.2016.1205647" target="_blank">reduces affordability</a>.
In Australia, land and construction costs per space are between <a href="https://www.onlinepublications.austroads.com.au/items/AGTM11-17" target="_blank">A$50,000 and $80,000</a>, and bays occupy 21 square metres on average. With <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/melbournes-apartment-sizes-face-more-scrutiny-20150414-1mkuj4" target="_blank">apartment sizes around 45 square metres</a>, this is a substantial housing trade-off. So in a dense high-cost area, why would there be more spaces than needed?
One reason is minimum off-street parking policies. In most of Melbourne, minimum parking rates have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-elephant-in-the-planning-scheme-how-cities-still-work-around-the-dominance-of-parking-space-87098" target="_blank">standard practice since the 1950s</a>. <a href="http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/vpps/52_06.pdf" target="_blank">State-wide provisions</a> require each new one-to-two-bedroom dwelling to include one off-street parking space, and each dwelling of three bedrooms or more to include two spaces, plus visitor parking.
Requirements for minimum space don’t reflect differences in demand. Some households will trade off parking for other housing characteristics. When London removed minimum parking policies, residential parking was <a href="https://www.accessmagazine.org/fall-2016/from-parking-minimums-to-parking-maximums-in-london/">built at only around half</a> the rate previous policies required.
But not using a space doesn’t mean it’s not wanted. In Melbourne, parking spaces are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.jstor.org/stable/26211720" target="_blank">typically sold “bundled”</a> with property titles. Even carless households <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1357480022000012249" target="_blank">prefer to purchase parking</a> for its on-sale value. And when parking is located separately in the building, planning, owners’ corporation and building security rules can make it tricky to lease out or repurpose a space.
So why can’t I find a park?
<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/12265934.2014.927740" target="_blank">Conventional policy approaches</a> combine largely free on-street parking (seen as a public right) with minimum requirements for off-street parking in new developments. Researchers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akm7ik-H_7U" target="_blank">argue</a> a <a href="http://www.vtpi.org/park_man.pdf" target="_blank">flaw of this approach</a> is that free on-street parking makes off-street requirements an imperfect response.
In Melbourne, 95% of <a href="https://transport.vic.gov.au/data-and-research/vista/">car trips that required parking</a> were free. Such approaches disguise demand and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-elephant-in-the-planning-scheme-how-cities-still-work-around-the-dominance-of-parking-space-87098">over-supply parking</a> at the expense of other land uses and transport.
A second flaw is the assumption off-street parking is a perfect substitute for street parking. In practice, drivers <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X06000424" target="_blank">favour on-street parking</a> over parking garages. They will spend time <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.jstor.org/stable/26211763?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents" target="_blank">cruising in search </a> of a free spot.
At home, households underuse private parking where free on-street parking is available. Household <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X13000565" target="_blank">garages are used for cars only around half the time</a>. A study of households in Los Angeles <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/life-at-home-in-the-twenty-first-century_n_1659172" target="_blank">found 75% of garages were filled</a> with accumulating household goods – pushing cars into driveways and streets.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228154/original/file-20180718-142428-1bobxpi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228154/original/file-20180718-142428-1bobxpi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Garages in houses are increasingly used to store household goods, not to park cars. 
What cities can do
Cities (including inner Melbourne) <a href="https://www.strongtowns.org/parking/" target="_blank">are removing or reducing off-street parking requirements</a>, or replacing these with maximums. Changes to off-street parking requirements should be integrated with market-based or <a href="https://www.reinventingparking.org/2016/07/six-signposts-to-parking-revolution" target="_blank">adaptive</a> on-street parking.
Dynamic pricing refers to parking where hourly fees vary by time and location, based on occupancy targets and usage patterns. Off-street and on-street parking are integrated to minimise both underpriced and overpriced parking. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01944363.2013.787307" target="_blank">SF Park in in San Francisco</a> has seen some peak locations increase in price, other meters reduced, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856414000470" target="_blank">50% reductions in cruising</a> using such an approach.
Then there’s “unbundling”, where parking is sold or rented in a separate market to housing. Households can choose to own or rent less or more parking. Parking spaces could either be optional in initial purchase, or building managers (or owners) could rent out spaces separately. Informal and app-based markets are emerging to allow people with excess parking to rent space to those searching for it.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228156/original/file-20180718-142432-tkx4z1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228156/original/file-20180718-142432-tkx4z1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
In Japan, there is almost no on-street parking. 
Some studies suggest unbundling <a href="https://trrjournalonline.trb.org/doi/abs/10.3141/2319-11" target="_blank">reduces car ownership and use</a>, while others indicate it simply <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837716304975">improves parking allocation</a>.
Precinct or neighbourhood parking is another approach. This is an off-site parking structure within walking distance used by different buildings in an area. Japan has a diverse market of off-street neighbourhood parking lots. This is fostered by a <a href="https://www.reinventingparking.org/2014/06/japans-proof-of-parking-rule-has" target="_blank">proof-of-parking law, combined with almost no on-street parking</a> and few parking minimums. Those who want a parking space at their house are free to do so, but many opt for a short walk to a small lot in their neighbourhood.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/228155/original/file-20180718-142414-rl9gaj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
A residential car parking structure (above)) in the Vauban area in Freiburg, Germany.
Converting and future-proofing parking
Parking space can also be converted to other uses. <a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2012/08/lessons-zurichs-parking-revolution/2874/" target="_blank">Parking numbers in central Zurich were capped</a> in 1996, with surface parking converted mostly to public squares. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jun/13/oslo-ban-cars-backlash-parking" target="_blank">Oslo is phasing out central city parking</a> in favour of “greener and more liveable” uses.
Since the 1970s Copenhagen policy has reduced parking spaces by 2% per year by <a href="https://www.trafficinfratech.com/parking-policy-u-turn-in-europe-effective-management-strategies/" target="_blank">“treating street space as a valuable public asset”</a>. <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2017/11/28/london-homes-and-offices-banned-from-car-parking-spaces-to-cut-pollution-7115870/" target="_blank">London</a> recently announced a ban on new parking. There are also <a href="http://pavementtoparks.org/parklets/" target="_blank">pop-up, temporary</a> approaches, parking <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2017/11/why-future-minneapolis-parking-garages-may-not-include-parking" target="_blank">designed for future re-use</a>, and conversions of <a href="http://scadpad.com/" target="_blank">multistorey structures</a>.
Cities need to respond to changes and uncertainties around parking in ways that make fairer use of public and private space. Japan, for example, offers a more flexible model where parking ownership is easily transferred with changing needs.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99031/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Some researchers <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14649357.2017.1416776" target="_blank">have recommended</a>, given the uncertainties around transport, that cities focus on parking reform. While not glamorous, it makes sense regardless of future automation scenarios.
Elizabeth Taylor, Vice Chancellor's Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University &amp; Rebecca Clements, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne
This article was originally published on The Conversation. 
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Empty car parks everywhere, but nowhere to park

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Erectile disfunction doctor Joseph Pollak's pricey Potts Point car space purchase in 2015 has ended up in a costly court case win after almost three years of disputation with the owners corporation at the 1960s block, The Chimes.
The problem arose because access to the $264,000 parking lot requires passage over the neighbouring common area. It seems the strata dispute began soon after Pollak's purchase when the body corporation installed a chain along the boundary.
Dr Pollak loosened the chain, complaining it prevented him from parking.
The body corporate then moved to install a garden which would have also disallowed car manoeuvring.
There was even an ambitious building proposal for the space.
"When the chain incident, the building proposal and the garden proposal are taken together, it is clear that the parties are in dispute," his honor noted as he reviewed the requirements specified by AS2890.1, the Australian Standard for Parking Facilities.
The strata, represented by Elisabeth Peden SC in the NSW Supreme Court over three days last month, argued unsuccessfully "there was no controversy to be quelled." 
Justice Francois Kunc gave a declaration allowing access over an 870 millimetre strip of land after Ken Demlakian, the doctor’s engineering expert, provided uncontradicted evidence that a forward in/reverse out exit manoeuvre encroached 1,175 millimetres, whereas a reverse in/forward out manoeuvre encroach by 870 millimetres. 
"The Court is dealing with car parking, not microsurgery," his honour, the son of František Kunc, the late Sydney sausage king, wryly added.
Not everything went the doctor's way as the strata won costs as the proceedings ought have been taken in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, not the Supreme Court. 
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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Potts Point car space settled in costly Supreme Court case

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Dexus Property Group will manage the car parks within 24 of its buildings via innovative provider DIVVY's new enterprise platform.
Dexus and DIVVY have announced the launch of a new parking management solution with an agreement to roll-out DIVVY’s Platform parking solution to its major office buildings around the country.
DIVVY’s new Platform Solution offers a turn-key online solution for major car park owners to manage all parking bays including underutilised spaces. 
Designed for large property portfolios, DIVVY Platform is a real-time parking system enabling the optimal utilisation of parking bays.
Dexus has been one of the DIVVY longstanding clients since 2015.
The asset management tool enables property teams to optimise parking management along with providing car park access online through an app.
The smart access device technology, cloud-based management dashboard and customer mobile app combine to provide an asset management system which delivers real-time portfolio and asset analytics. 
The new service will be rolled out to 24 of Dexus’s major office buildings in Australia including 30 The Bond and 45 Clarence Street in the Sydney CBD, 480 Queen Street and 123 Albert Street in Brisbane, 360 Collins Street in Melbourne and 240 St Georges Terrace in Perth.
Roll-out will commence in December 2017 and is expected to complete in March 2018.
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Divvy and Dexus arrive at new deal for CBD car parking 

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GUEST OBSERVER
Parking may seem like a “pedestrian” topic (pun intended). However, parking is of increasing importance in metropolitan areas worldwide. On average, motor vehicles are parked 95% of the time. Yet most transport analysis focuses on vehicles when they are moving.
Substantial amounts of land and buildings are set aside to accommodate “immobile” vehicles. In Australia, Brisbane provides 25,633 parking spaces in the CBD, Sydney 28,939 and Melbourne 41,687. In high-demand areas, car parks can cost far more than the vehicle itself.
However, parking is not just an Australian problem. By some estimates, 30,000 square kilometres of land is devoted to parking in Europe and 27,000 km² in the US. This parking takes up a large part of city space, much of it highly valued, centrally located land.
Traditionally, transport planners believed that generous parking allocations provided substantial benefits to users. In reality, excessive parking is known to adversely affect both transport and land use. These impacts, along with recent land-use, socioeconomic and technological trends, are prompting cities to start asking some important questions about parking.
Australian planners must engage with emerging trends to help cities work out the best way to reclaim and repurpose parking space in ways that enhance efficiency and liveability while minimising disruption.
Here we chart likely challenges and opportunities created by these trends over coming decades.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190958/original/file-20171019-30534-9x1evf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;rect=3%2C96%2C822%2C540&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Key trends affecting parking space in cities. Diagram by authors
Land use
All Australian cities have policies to encourage densification, consolidation and infill development in their centres. In conjunction, some cities are setting maximum limits on parking to prevent it taking over valuable inner-city properties.
Transit-oriented development (TOD) has also become popular, at least on paper. This is another form of urban consolidation around transit nodes and corridors. It is known to benefit from high-quality urban design, “walkability”, “cyclability” and a mix of functions.
These developments mean that people who live in CBDs, inner-ring suburbs and near public transport stops will use cars less. Consequently, demand for parking will decrease.
Some non-TOD suburbs are trying to replicate inner-city features as well. For example, some suburban shopping centres have introduced paid parking. This is a significant shift from previous eras, when malls guaranteed ample free parking.
Suburbanites who lack easy public transport access will continue to rely on cars. But rather than driving all the way to a CBD, commuters will increasingly opt for park-and-ride at suburban stations, thereby increasing demand for park-and-ride lots at public transport interchanges. However, excessive capacity might hurt rather than help patronage.
Social trends
In addition to land use, several social trends will affect the need for parking.
First, young people are delaying getting drivers’ licences because driving is culturally less important to them than in previous generations.
Second, people of all ages are moving from outer suburbs to inner cities. For many, this means less driving because walking, cycling and public transport are more convenient in inner cities.
Finally, the emergence of Uber, Lyft and vehicle-sharing arrangements means that people are not buying cars. Research suggests that each car-sharing vehicle removes nine to 13 individually owned vehicles from the road.
Together, these trends point to a reduced need for parking because there will be fewer cars overall.
Technology
The importance of technology in parking is rising – paving the way for “smarter” parking.
The emergence of a host of smartphone apps, such as ParkMe, Kerb, ParkHound and ParkWhiz, has begun to reshape the parking landscape. For the first time, users can identify and reserve parking according to price and location before starting their journeys.
Apps also make available a host of car parks that previously went unused – such as spaces in a residential driveway. This is because there was no mechanism for letting people know these were available.
In addition, smart pricing programs, such as SFPark in San Francisco, periodically adjust meter and garage pricing to match demand. This encourages drivers to park in underused areas and garages and reduces demand in overused areas.
The advent of autonomous vehicles promises to have dramatic impacts on transport and land use, including parking.
According to one school of thought, mobility services will own most autonomous vehicles, rather than individuals, due to insurance and liability issues. If this happens, far fewer vehicles and parking spaces will be needed as most will be “in motion” rather than parked most of the time.
More space for people and places
The next decade promises much change as emerging land-use, socioeconomic and technological trends reshape the need for, and use of, parking. Cities will devote less space to parking and more space to people and places.
Parking lanes will likely be repurposed as cycling lanes, shared streets, parklets, community gardens and even housing. Concrete parking lots, and faceless garages will likely be converted to much-needed residential, commercial and light industrial use.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85331/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">By transforming parking, much urban land can turn from wasteland into vibrant activity space.
Dorina Pojani, Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland. 
Iderlina Mateo-Babiano, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Melbourne.
Jonathan Corcoran, Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland.
Neil Sipe, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, The University of Queensland.<a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805"></a>
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/freeing-up-the-huge-areas-set-aside-for-parking-can-transform-our-cities-85331" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Freeing up the huge areas set aside for parking can transform our cities

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In our Purchase or Pass segment this week Andrew Rechtman from realestate.com.au and Evan Yanitsas from Century 21 discuss a property as advertised as having parking, but all is not as it seems.
Chris: It is a 2 bed, 1 bath unit with parking, 8.3 kms from the CBD and less than 500m to the local action. At 110sqm it’s one of the largest units in the area and boasts a north facing garden. It’s situated in a small federation block of 4 and has 3.2m high patterned ceilings and lime washed floorboards. It’s advertised as having a parking area but you can only park X cars. It recently sold for $1.35m and rents for approximately $900/wk
Evan: Size for a property, especially a rental property is very important. 110 sq m represents a pretty good size. The issue, as you pointed it out though, is the parking for this one and that’s something I think we should discuss.
Is parking important? Do we need parking? I think yes especially for an investment property. But yeah, these are the things to consider for this property.
The yield as we saw there, wasn’t as high as it could have been, and I think the introduction of…if it had a designated parking spot could have improved the rental return and made it a much more worthwhile investment.
Chris: Yeah, so certainly things to think about. One if the main things here is it has got a garden…how rare is it to have something like that? Again in the inner city?
Andrew: Yeah I think being in the inner city and having that green space is a real positive for this property and it does have that drawback of the scattered parking or shared parking but its got size, and not just the whole block size of 110sqm, but the individual bedrooms are a really big size.
We see a lot more people wanting to see the big bedrooms rather than more bedrooms. I think this place does a good job of presenting that. Then the outdoor area is a real bonus as well. So in an apartment you’re almost getting an extra room for those in Sydney 7 or 8 months of the year when you can be living outside. Any type of outdoor area we see as a big driver of engagement
Any time there’s a balcony a small garden or a courtyard we see a lot more interest from people looking at our properties.
Chris: I guess it all comes down to the competition, we were talking earlier about things like go get or even having a car stacker
Evan: The body corporate here could definitely, maybe not for this property, but could consider putting in a stacker. This way every property would be able to have the car park on total and that would definitely increase the rental yield making this property a lot more attractive to investors.
Chris: Again, looking at some of these other properties around the CBDs and then these bigger developments, quite often they have the bike racks and the motorcycles and even shared bikes you see... I notice up in Brisbane and places like that.
It is a different way of thinking. So I’ve always been very set on the parking but it’s a changing world isn’t it?
Andrew: I think if you’re getting the inner city areas, really tight inner city suburbs, a place like west end in Brisbane, any of the Perth CBDs, I think parking is becoming less of an issue. Particularly for those who live, work in the CBD and they do have access to Uber, Go Get and all those other ride sharing services as well as the good old taxi now and then.
Chris: I guess with the scattered parking as well you normally come home at about 3 in the afternoon say you pick up the kids that’s probably actually an advantage. Whereas if you’re an accountant or real estate agent working till 9 or 10 at night…
Evan: Usually there are status quo forms until a new tenant moves in and then it’s sort of up in the air again until everything settles down.
Chris: purchase or pass for you?
Evan: Pass for me
Andrew: I’ll be a contrarian, purchase for me.
Chris: Whilst scattered parking is better than no parking, I would rather wait and find something with a guaranteed space. Also the low yield gives a hint to me that someone maybe paid over the odds as they really wanted a garden apartment as they are rather unique and would pay any price and so I would pass.
To watch the interview in full, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0judzTYkULE" target="_blank">click here</a>.
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