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This chapter provides an introduction to parking issues and policies. It seeks to place parking in the context of transport demand management (TDM) and takes as its tenet that parking is primarily a land-use issue. It outlines the types of parking which exist and why the management of parking is all important when addressing the policy goals of impacting on traffic congestion, tackling the issue of air pollution, stimulating economic activity or aiming to improve road safety.

This chapter discusses the role played by parking as a TDM measure and its various facets most notably pricing and regulation, the prioritisation of land for particular uses, such as Park and Ride, or indeed car free developments.

The chapter reveals the complex nature of parking from both the supply and demand side. The demand is driven by the kind of activity involved be it for commuter, retail or other reasons. Clearly, the type of housing stock and residential density impact on parking demand at the start point of the journey, whereas at the destination, the type of employment and the duration of parking are significant factors. Car parking is not homogeneous, since it can be found in various locations and provided by different bodies, be that the public or private sector. The cost of parking is an issue not simply in terms of the land take, cost of construction and maintenance but also searching for parking and the time involved.

The management of parking is important as part of a package of measures commonly implemented by authorities and one which needs to be understood alongside land-use planning. It is an area involving conflict between parking supply, demand, revenue raising and economic development.

The book offers a clear understanding and insight into the area of parking and its issues and policies. The book uses case studies where appropriate providing originality in the area of parking and effective management approaches.

This paper aims to analyse the management of urban on street car parking as an example of the dilemmas of understanding and improving the performance of public management.

A conceptual paper that assesses empirical practice against different theoretical frameworks and suggests new management and policy directions.

The management of regulatory services such as urban on street car parking are little examined in the literature of public management, though the economic literature does review some aspects of parking behaviour. This paper analyses car parking as an exemplar site for empirical confirmation of the difficulties of reconciling multiple stakeholder interests when addressing a “wicked problem”. The paper further argues that public management theory can be developed from examination of such routine minutiae of day‐to‐day life.

The paper provides a fresh theoretical perspective on an every day social activity and suggests that such analysis can aid theory building for public management.

A Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) scheme represents a major transport demand management intervention which raises a levy on private non-domestic off street parking provided by employers to employees, regular business visitors and students. It therefore increases the average cost of commuting by car and stimulates a contraction in the supply of workplace parking places. Under UK legislation the revenue from such a scheme is hypothecated funding for further transport improvements. As such it is potentially an important mixed policy instrument available to transport authorities to tackle traffic congestion and create extra transport capacity by using the additional funding such a scheme provides. At present, in the United Kingdom, only Nottingham City Council has implemented such a scheme and thus an understanding of how that scheme was implemented, how it operates and the outcomes after a full year of operation are of importance to transport academics and other local authorities considering utilising a similar approach.

This chapter presents an overview of the WPL scheme in Nottingham. The legislation, implementation experience, monitoring framework and outcomes for this scheme after the first year of full operation are discussed by drawing on current literature, documentary evidence and monitoring data.

The Nottingham WPL scheme was fully implemented in April 2012. The gap between the provisions of the underpinning legislation and the functioning scheme has necessitated the formulation of policy in line with the spirit of the legislation. Acceptance by the business community and the public were further barriers to implementation which were mitigated by a consultation process and a Public Examination. However acceptance remains a concern until the scheme has been shown to meet its key objective of reducing congestion. To date there is no evidence that the scheme has had a negative impact on business investment and, while there is as yet no evidence traffic congestion has reduced, it is still early for such impacts to be identified especially as the majority of the associated public transport improvements are yet to be implemented. However the WPL has already raised £7 million in net revenue in its first year of operation which is hypothecated for public transport improvements which may help encourage inward investment and reduce car travel.

At present the Nottingham WPL scheme has only been operational for a short time and a limitation to the research presented here is that the major public transport improvements part funded by revenue hypothecated from the WPL are not yet in place. It will be necessary to wait at least a further 3 years before more definite conclusions as to the success of the WPL package can be drawn.

As the first of its kind in the United Kingdom or indeed in Europe, the WPL scheme in Nottingham provides a unique contribution to the literature, comparing and contrasting implementation and outcomes with those in Australia and Canada. Geographical and cultural differences between the United Kingdom and these countries mean that conclusions drawn concerning existing schemes in other continents are not necessarily transferable to the United Kingdom. This chapter provides evidence in a UK framework to assess if the approach could be suitably applied more widely.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the economics of providing well-located housing in the inner city of Cape Town. The paper emphasises the need to maintain an appropriate balance between the viability and affordability of the product offered to the market and overcoming the value versus cost challenges. While developers have limited influence over value, they do have influence over cost structures through the development approach that is chosen. Moreover, local authorities influence the viability of projects through standards and regulations. The conclusion drawn from the research has considerable implications for the formulation of market-driven housing policy interventions.

In addition to the review of urban economics theory and the literature on the drivers and costs of inner-city, higher-density residential development, a series of interviews with inner-city residential developers was conducted to access current property development cost data and to identify the parameters that determine the viability of inner-city, high-density residential development.

Cape Town, like other South African cities, suffers from being inefficient and inequitable largely due to its low density and sprawling nature. As a result, most planning- and housing-related policy interventions advocate the provision the higher-density, more affordable residential housing in well-located areas such as the inner city. However, to date, these policies have, on the whole, been unsuccessful in achieving these outcomes. This paper argues that this is because these policies largely do not take urban economics into account and fail to address the value versus cost tension that needs to be overcome to allow for the provision of such accommodation. Based on the viability calculations provided, the research illustrates the main cost drivers associated with higher-density, inner-city residential development and makes certain recommendations as to how these cost barriers can be reduced.

Financing arrangements and taxation implications have not been accounted for as these are often specific to the developer and thus cannot be generalised.

The solutions put forward by the paper offer lower-income households the ability to successfully compete with higher-income households and other land uses for well-located space in Cape Town’s inner city.

The findings of this research illustrate the type of interventions that the public and private sectors can consider to improve the viability and affordability of affordable housing units in city centres located in emerging countries.

While traditional urban economic concepts are drawn upon, the paper contributes to addressing the challenge of providing higher-density, more affordable accommodation in South African inner cities. It does this by applying these well-known concepts to the inner city of Cape Town and draws on current data and developer views to accurately diagnose the problem and, in turn, to offer pragmatic solutions.

This paper aims to explore the relationship between adjustments in parking regulations in major American cities in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus and vehicle thefts.

Vehicle theft data from the 25 most populous American cities were collected between 2019 and 2020. Information was also collected on the type, severity and number of changes to parking enforcement regulations made in March and April 2020 in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus in the USA.

This analysis shows that the relaxation of parking regulations is associated with a significant increase in the number of vehicle thefts in major metropolitan areas.

Although this research cannot prove a cause and effect relationship, statistical analysis of the data shows that policy change and vehicle thefts are related variables.

Guide for future policies-increase awareness; promote safety; promote accountability.

The comparison of increased vehicle thefts to parking enforcement policies; to policymakers, the general public.