On Mandolingatan in Gothenburg, construction is taking place on the car parking areas. Photo: Framtiden Byggutveckling AB.
Parking measures and mobility services can change travel habits and provide cheaper housing
The Gothenburg-based housing group Framtiden, together with IVL, has looked at what opportunities there are for shared use of parking spaces and mobility services in residential areas. The property portfolio of the future has been used as a case study to identify environmentally adapted solutions for more sustainable urban development in Gothenburg and comparable cities.
– Many municipalities see densification as a strategy to be able to handle urbanization and build housing without the city expanding at the same time. But in order for the densification not to lead to increased car traffic in the cities at the same time, it is important to streamline the parking offer and to develop mobility services that can replace part of the need to park privately owned cars, says Anders Roth, mobility expert at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.
To increase knowledge in the parking and mobility area, the housing group Framtiden together with IVL has run the research project Sampark. The project shows that the introduction of mobility services in combination with parking measures such as reduced parking numbers is important for reducing the need for parking spaces and your own car. However, it is important that the mobility services are attractive and adapted to the needs of the residents.
Densification and new construction of homes means that Framtiden needs to build on existing parking spaces. Requirements to replace existing ground parking lots with relatively low fees must then be well balanced and in line with the demand for newly produced more expensive parking spaces.
– In this way, the production costs for the homes can be kept down at the same time as the expansion of parking harmonizes with the city's traffic and environmental goals, says Joa Ivarsson, development manager for sustainability at Framtiden Byggutveckling AB.
The project also showed that the parking cost for similar parking can differ for different companies in the Framtiden Group. A recommendation for large companies in the public utility is to try to harmonize the fees. It would provide more efficient management of land and parking spaces and better justice between residents of different companies.
– The current fee level is generally low in comparison with both the market value for parking in relevant areas and for being able to control and influence car travel and car ownership, says Anders Roth.
The absolute majority of the Framtiden Group's parking spaces are rented out as permanent spaces. However, a completed pilot project shows that the conversion from fixed sites to permit sites can have a great potential to streamline the parking stock and thereby free up land for other purposes.
Continued research should focus on the effects of parking numbers in combination with mobility services and with a focus on, among other things, car ownership and to investigate and describe the connection between parking and mobility in combination with safety issues.
Download the report: Parking and mobility services for a sustainable city Pdf, 2 MB.
For more information, please contact:
Anders Roth, anders.roth@ivl.se, +46 (0)10-788 69 16
Joa Ivarsson, joa.ivarsson@framtiden.se, +46 (0)76-538 30 06