Parking and pedestrians: Balancing two key elements in downtown development

Two important transportation goals for most American downtowns are to provide sufficient parking spaces to meet the demand of motorists and an attractive pedestrian-friendly environment. Yet, when planned for separately, these two goals frequently contradict each other. This article discusses the characteristics, Problems, and strategies associated with downtown pedestrians and parking and advocates an integrated approach wherein the needs of both pedestrians and motorists are balanced. The keys to achieving this balance are (1) finding appropriate locations for off-street parking facilities that do not impede pedestrian flow, and (2) designing parking facilities that are sensitive to pedestrians and facilitate pedestrian connections.