Beyond Surface Parking

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Beyond Surface Parking

Campbell, Dakota

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10429/2445

Date: 2023-04-27

Abstract:

Using the post-positivist and perceptual frameworks, this thesis aims to confront the cumulative issues derived from surface parking on the American cityscape. These issues include water, air, and ground pollution, lack of spatial quality, poor use of space in urban areas, and improper compliance with policies surrounding surface materials, upkeep, and greenery. Through the use of tactical urbanism, by which low cost scalable interventions are used to instigate change, this thesis aims to create new and flexible uses of surface parking lots in a way that activates them beyond the current use of storing cars. Within this study the use of four major components to dissect and address the problem allows for a multi-faceted approach to design and planning. These components include space use, environmental sustainability, public policy, and spatial quality. This study uses the city of Detroit as an example to define a flexible framework that can be used across the entirety of the United States to combat the negative effects of surface parking. Currently, the city of Detroit’s downtown is made up of 40% surface parking, and little action has been taken to address the issue at any scale. Through the use of historic and present mapping as a way to visualize change and development of parking, direct observation to document present conditions, case studies of previous parking reformation and replacement, and environmental data used to track the impact of surface parking on cities, a comprehensive understanding of parking and its impacts has been found. The outcomes of this thesis are twofold: first, to provide a framework for addressing the negative impacts of surface parking in American cities, and second, to promote sustainable and livable urban spaces. However, this study acknowledges that there are other contributing factors, such as mobility, mass transit accessibility, and walkability, which exist alongside parking overabundance as symptoms of one another. Therefore, by utilizing Detroit as a case study, this thesis demonstrates the practicality of the framework in a real-world setting. By adapting the framework to local conditions, cities across the United States can use the framework to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans living in cities with a high concentration of surface parking all while improving the overall urban condition.

Description:

Working within the post-positivist and perceptual frameworks, this thesis aims to study the current overabundance of surface parking in the American city and its impact on everyday life. The main subject being studied is Detroit, Michigan, and will use Detroit as an example for future planning and development of cities in a way that is less disruptive to the streetscape and urban form. The American obsession with cars has driven the design of cities since cars were widely implemented as a mode of travel, meaning that design has shifted away from the human scale and human needs, and has created a utopia for cars that breaks up urban areas and can make them entirely inaccessible without ownership or access to a car. The human scale when related to design is focused on the idea that a space is designed to feel welcoming to humans due to its sizing of elements and amenities that accompany the space. This obsession with cars also allowed the United States to own half of the world's cars starting in 1950 and continuing today as per studies done by Donald Shoup, which puts major stress on cities trying to house and store these cars (Shoup, 13). Many cities across the United States have succumbed to the plague of parking, but the way parking has been changed over time is what has differentiated each city. There are four main concerns brought to light by surface parking when working within the confines of high-density population areas. One, environmental impact, can ruin the quality of soil, air, and water in urban areas. Space use conditions change drastically between high-rise buildings and on-grade parking lots, which not only impacts the streetscape of cities, but also creates voids of space that are not meant to be inhabited by humans. Parking policy has drastically impacted the way that other policies including transit and public design are written. Some cities have not seen major parking policy changes over the last fifty years. Lack of flexibility in use, the way that people interact with parking lots is one-dimensional, solely relying on the use of a car to enter the space, which creates the phenomenon known as ‘human alienation’ and deters people from using the space. Human alienation being the idea that humans are not the focus within a space when it is being designed, and are actively pushed away from using a space. Each of these concerns will guide this thesis process moving forward and will inform future development strategies for designers working with urban areas. With the use of the following research questions, this thesis will aim to better understand the phenomenon of parking growth and density in the American city. Each question has connections to the four main concerns and aims to help in learning more on the topic and current situation surrounding parking: What are the social, economic, and environmental ‘costs’ of surface parking? How will current parking conditions be able to address any future influx of cars into cities? Can parking policy be adjusted, or must it be entirely replaced? Are current ‘greening’ requirements enough to combat the environmental impact? Can parking be used in a way that combats negative environmental impact from other sources? Surface parking has major detrimental effects on the built environment, and worsens the connection that people have within urban spaces. The implementation of surface parking lots breaks up urban spaces and creates void spaces within the urban fabric that not only lack visual quality, but are also designed out-of-scale for human use. It will be important to redevelop parking in cities like Detroit to allow for future growth. The current use for large surface parking lots does not suffice when developing cities aim to grow and bring in more people. Their use is solely based on storing cars and that is it. As time moves on, changes must be made that move away from the current This will only further harm cities, and without change normal development will surely lead to the further expansion of parking and parking minimums. The act of human alienation will only further grow, and cities will become less built for people and will be more focused on cars than they are now. This study will lead to small scale redevelopment of parking lots to better benefit communities they serve. Beginning with research and analysis of parking situations and car ownership in different American cities, and how they are used has led to different studies that further developed into a historic study of cars and parking lots in cities. Historic figure ground studies of Detroit, MI, Allentown, PA, and Indianapolis, IN have created a better understanding of how parking has developed. This study then led to tours of both Detroit and New York City where photographs were taken to show the lack of spatial qualities in these two cities. Studying them together allowed for comparison between the two highly different cities. Environmental impact reports then helped to gather information on how harsh the impacts on cities truly are. The significant issues stemming from rainwater runoff, urban heat island creation, and collection of exhaust fumes. These studies have led to individual studies of Detroit neighborhoods including Milwaukee Junction and Midtown. These included a thorough urban analysis looking at parking, building use, parks, and transit accessibility. These steps have led to the final idea of using a multi-step plan to implement parking reform and changes in use to better develop the city. When focusing on parking as the main issue causing car dependence within cities there are many other aspects that affect this. Parking dependency is a symptom of these other aspects, but these aspects are also a symptom of parking. Included within this are mass transit accessibility, walkability, and accessibility. Each symptom must be solved in some way to address the others. Focusing on parking will only solve part of the problem at hand, and to combat the overall issue each must be addressed separately. This thesis focuses on parking because of its impact on the way cities are planned, and how parking lots truly take up space within the urban fabric, but are not capable of supporting other uses intrinsically. Although parking is a symptom of other issues, the focus on it is important because of the holistic impact it has on the built environment and the natural environment surrounding it. When there is more space to build and develop a city, then other issues of walkability and transit access can be directly addressed within these spaces and better connect the communities that they serve. This also can lead to the rethinking of outdoor spaces within cities to allow for more connectedness between those who inhabit the city. Working with parking does have limitations that stem from the American culture surrounding cars and parking needs, the act of changing cultural norms is a long and strenuous process that will inevitably have pushback, and without other action taken, citizens of Detroit would be upset that there is less parking close to their destination(s), which is a hurdle the city itself will have to deal with if there is planned growth in the near future. The way cities are planned and developed surrounding parking is important because of the true impact that parking has on the environment surrounding it, the quality of the built environment, and how it is used only for one purpose. This affects everyone who lives within a city, and although currently they may not notice the lack of quality spaces, a drastic change that allows for more public space, businesses, and community amenities will show just how poorly handled development and parking has been handled in the city of Detroit.

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