Finding space for nature in cities: the considerable potential of redundant car parking

Abstract

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are recognised as a means to address challenges such as heatwaves, flooding and biodiversity loss. Delivering these benefits at scale will require large areas of scarce urban land to be converted into green space. Here we show an approach by which cities can make substantial progress towards their sustainability targets using NBS, by converting redundant street parking into biodiverse green space. We demonstrate that up to half of street parking in our case study municipality (The City of Melbourne) could be accommodated in garages within 200 m, freeing up large areas for greening. Our modelling projects significant benefits in terms of tree canopy over, stormwater and ecological connectivity. These would represent strong progress towards a number of the city’s ambitious NBS targets. As many cities allocate extensive areas to both street parking and off-street garages, this approach to freeing up space for nature in cities is widely applicable.

A systematic review of urban green space research over the last 30 years: A bibliometric analysis

“…Further investigating the keyword occurrence trends of three decades of UGS research, we can conclude that the dominance of urban forest research has been challenged by the research of UGSs located in urban core areas. Whereas forests adjacent to urban areas still face major threats due to urban sprawl [ 92 ], many cities worldwide rather focus on creating new UGSs within the city limits [ 93 , 94 ]. Parallel to this paradigm shift, UGS research has experienced a change in its perspective: the investigation of the social aspects of UGSs has become as important (or more crucial) than the ecological ones.…”

The ‘3-30-300 rule’ for urban nature exposes acute canopy deficits in 8 global cities

“…We encourage a move beyond this notion; where su cient space is not vacant, reallocation of street space may be needed. 30% canopy may indeed be infeasible if planting can be rejected on the basis that space is currently allocated to parking or roadways, or is deemed 'unplantable' due to generous clearance requirements associated with utilities or vehicle sightlines 30 . This demands problem-solving, not an implicit capitulation to the tacit norm that vehicles and services hold greater rights to public space than green infrastructure elements.…”

Assessment of NOx Levels in an Underground Hospital Car Park: Implications for Occupational and Environmental Health

“…Parking garages, often overlooked as critical microenvironments, play a pivotal role in exposing both drivers and workers to deleterious air emissions, contributing to the enduring adverse impacts of motor vehicle-related air pollution on human health and the environment [17][18][19]. A noteworthy global trend sees cities transitioning from conventional street parking to embracing biodiverse green spaces, with a marked preference for subterranean parking structures [20,21].…”