Press Release

Regeneration agency takes well-designed car parking on the road

25 October 2006

How  housebuilders  plan  car parking can affect the lives of residents and have  a  significant  impact on our public realm.  “Car Parking: what works where”,  published May 2006, is now the subject of a series of country-wide workshops being hosted by national regeneration agency English Partnerships on  how  to  combine  car  parking  with good urban design.  Beginning on 9 November,  the  roadshows  offer  practical  advice  for  anyone needing to improve the quality and efficiency of parking layouts while also creating a safe and attractive neighbourhood.

Whatever  the  level  of  car  parking,  making it secure and welcoming for residents   and   visitors   should  be  the  focus  according  to  English Partnerships.   “It’s  not  about ‘how many’ spaces but ‘how and where’ car parking  is  incorporated  into  planning  and  design” says Kevin McGeogh, Policy  Manager  for  English Partnerships and Executive Editor of the “Car Parking: what works where” toolkit.

The  workshops  will  discuss  innovative  parking solutions for maximising quality and efficiency of parking treatments in central, urban and suburban locations.

Hotly  debated  topics  to  be covered in the workshops include ‘on street’ versus  ‘off  street’ parking and ‘allocated’ versus‘ unallocated’ parking.

Discussions  and  presentations  from  Design  for  Homes,  Oxford  Brookes University  and architects of successfully designed schemes (as featured in the toolkit) will add to the debate.

Anyone   -  from  planners  to  highway engineers - is welcome at venues in Coventry,  Bristol,  Milton Keynes and Warrington.  To reserve a free place and  obtain  more  details  please  contact Anna Roderick telephone number:

01279 656 656 or email: parking@designforhomes.org  Numbers are limited and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.