Press Release

Well-designed car parking can transform neighbourhoods

9 May 2006

Well-designed  car  parking  can  help  create  more  attractive  and safer communities.  The way housebuilders arrange car spaces can affect the lives of  residents  and has a significant impact on the public environment.  The findings  are  contained  in  a new toolkit called “Car Parking: what works where” published today by national regeneration agency English Partnerships in collaboration with Design for Homes.

“The  debate  should  not only concentrate on “how many” spaces but on “how and  where”  car  parking  is  incorporated into planning and design,” said Trevor  Beattie, Regional Director for English Partnerships speaking at the

“Designing Affordable Housing” conference today (9 May).

“Car  parking  should  not  be  seen as an after thought. Well-designed car parking is inseparable from good urban design,” added Beattie.

The  first  of its kind, the toolkit identifies the widest range of parking options  available to urban designers and offers practical advice to anyone needing   to   integrate  car  parking  into  a  residential  or  mixed-use development.   Innovative  solutions  are  provided to everyday car parking issues,  for  example,  planning  wider  streets  can  deter motorists from parking  on  pavements.    Putting cars in view of the home also encourages more street activity.

The  toolkit  draws  on  24  case  studies  to illustrate design and layout principles.    For   example,   Butts   Green  in  Warrington,  an  English Partnerships,   Bellway   Homes   and   John   Wilson  Associates’  scheme, demonstrates  how two-storey accommodation over garages makes efficient use of  land.   From  a  visual  point  of  view,  the quality and scale of the buildings ensure that cars do not dominate the landscape.

Easy to use “traffic light” symbols in the publication help the reader find the most appropriate design treatment for a specific location.

Trevor Beattie continued, “This toolkit is an essential guide to help build sustainable communities.”

David  Birkbeck,  Chief  Executive for Design for Homes urges architects to “Go for quality of the street above all else.

“There  isn’t a single best design answer when combining cars and the built environment.   This  toolkit proves how maximising the activity between the home  and  the  car can lead to more welcoming and safer neighbourhoods for all.”