BPA FOCUS JOHN HEASMAN BURSARY
Emptying the
FOLLOWING THREE YEARS OF RESEARCH, KAREN ANDERTON BELIEVES THAT PARKING HAS A CRUCIAL ROLE TO PLAY IN REDUCING THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
I
commenced my studies at Oxford University’s Transport Studies Unit in 2007. Initially unfunded, the opportunity arose to apply for a bursary being set up by the British Parking Association (BPA), to honour the work and commitment of John Heasman, founder and pioneer of the BPA. My application was successful and I set about reworking
elements of my research proposal to ensure that parking policy could be investigated, along with the other areas I’d already envisaged looking into. My research is primarily about the development and
implementation processes of policy concerned with reducing the climate change impact of cars. So much research is conducted at present about the best ways to address the greenhouse gas emissions associated with road transport, but not so much – very little in fact – attention is given to the organisations and departments of government responsible for delivering these policies, and the way in which they interact with each other and the outside world. Tis is what my research has been investigating. What does this have to do with parking? Anecdotally, someone
once said to me: ‘If we compare the impact that cars have on the earth’s climate, to the impact that cigarettes have on our health, the parking spaces would be the ashtray.’ A bit dramatic perhaps? Maybe – but nonetheless a fairly strong nod to the significance of the parking infrastructure in the bigger picture. Te fact is that cars spend most of their lifetimes parked. It
has been suggested that only 40 per cent of car owners use their vehicles daily. And whatever policy[ies] might be implemented in
32 DECEMBER 2010
ashtray
the future to tackle climate change, parking has a role to play in transport solutions.
International dimensions My research investigated four international sub-national government policies, which would have a part to play in reducing transport emissions. In South Australia, AU$2 billion is being invested in upgrading and electrifying the train and tram network to encourage people out of their cars and onto public transport. I asked whether anything was being done with the multitude of free parking in premium central business district (CBD) real estate in the centre of Adelaide to help promote such a shift. And whether car park’s private owners were involved in the government’s plans to address urban sprawl and congestion with transit-oriented developments – ensuring that new parking infrastructure was delivered alongside the transport corridor improvements. In Scotland the government is encouraging people to better plan
their journeys – to ‘trip-chain’, to walk and cycle. I investigated the prospect of their proposed ‘Park and Choose’ schemes, where car parks offer facilities for more than one mode choice – bus, train, walking, cycling – making it easier for people not to depend entirely on their cars. And in California, specific focus is being given to reducing the amount of vehicle miles travelled. Policymakers are attempting to link land-use planning with
transportation funding. But are parking lot developers involved in the ideas being discussed to deliver ‘smart growth’ areas and infrastructure? With my Bavarian case study still being undertaken at the time of writing, questions are being considered as to how the parking infrastructure can be delivered to facilitate the development and deployment of electric vehicles. In more than 80 interviews I have conducted with climate
change, transport and policy professionals, I have explored the relationships, collaboration and interaction being developed between the sectors, but also the barriers and the fragmentation that are preventing successful policy implementation in this area.
www.britishparking.co.uk
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