The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy has published an intriguing report on parking reforms throughout year designed to reduce car use. While many of the reforms are standard economics tools like taxing car use and regulating available spaces, some cities have also used innovative physical choice architecture.
Striped Lines: (In Stockholm)…Entire sections of curbside are demarcated with one large box sometimes taking up an entire street as the latest practice. One large box encourages smaller vehicles to squeeze into the limited space. In this way the city optimizes revenue from its pricing program.
Street Geometry: Strategically arranging existing parking spaces can help make other street users more comfortable. In Zurich, alternating parking spaces on two sides of a narrow street act as a chicane that slows vehicle speeds. Amsterdam has zones called woonerfs that use parked cars to create a winding passage which forces vehicles to move at a pedestrian’s pace. Paris and Copenhagen have bike lanes that are protected by parked cars—these act as a barrier between the cyclists and moving traffic. Copenhagen and Antwerp have play-streets that allow children to safely spend time on the
street without the threat of getting hit by a car—trees, benches, and other physical obstructions cue vehicles that they are guests in the space.
Article and full report are here. Hat tip: Impossible Software.
