I thoroughly enjoy reading anything by Donald Shoup. His approach to addressing issues within the parking industry is always well thought out, modern and achievable. And this recent article is no exception. Not only do we get a complete review of this present-day dilemma, there’s also an anthropological perspective, and quotes by Machiavelli and Woodrow Wilson thrown in for good measure.
Informal Parking occurs when residents (and visitors) are not provided with the appropriate means to park their cars. This can be on a day-to-day basis, during peak times, or at recurring events such as sporting events. Informal Parking Markets, an entrepreneurial response to these situations, operate outside the systems in place for regulated parking and meet the demands that councils and regulatory bodies find difficult to measure.
Mr Shoup’s article, featured in Access Magazine, breaks down the Informal Parking Markets as follows:
- Off-street parking: Parking during game days, musical events at stadiums and the like, we see how residents are earning themselves an extra buck or two.
- On-street parking: Parking during street-cleaning and snowstorms, also tips on how you can utilise your doorman to manage your parking needs.
- Parking on pavements: What is Apron Parking?, how councils relax parking regulations and what the sociological and psychological knock-on effects of this situation can hold for residents.
Grab a coffee (or tea), sit back, have a read and then we’d love to hear your views on this too…
The article is adapted from “Informal Parking Markets: Turning Problems into Solutions,” originally published in the book, The Informal American City.
