Car Parking Problem in Urban Areas, Causes and Solutions

Car parking is a major problem in urban areas in both developed and developing countries. Following the rapid incense of car ownership, many cities are suffering from lacking of car parking areas with imbalance between parking supply and demand which can be considered the initial reason for metropolis parking problems. This imbalance is partially due to ineffective land use planning and miscalculations of space requirements during first stages of planning. Shortage of parking space, high parking tariffs, and traffic congestion due to visitors in search for a parking place are only a few examples of everyday parking problems. The paper examines car parking problem in the city; its different causes and conventional - yet non-successful - approaches. Modern technology has produced a variety of new solutions and techniques in this respect. The paper reviews new planning trends and creative technological solutions which can help alleviate the strain of the problem. Because car parking solutions are not an end in itself, but rather a means of achieving larger community goals in order to improve urban transportation and make cities more livable and efficient, the paper also discusses the environmental impacts which should be taken into considerations for solutions proposed.