Part 13: Parking control

Last updated: December 2007. This document ceases to be a controlled document when printed. Please refer to the current version at www.landtransport.govt.nz

4  Design considerations

4.2  Urban design considerations

When developing and designing both on- and off-road parking facilities, certain environmental aspects should be considered to ensure they blend into the surrounding facilities and provide a certain level of ‘attractiveness’ to road users. The following should be considered when developing parking areas:

• separating surface parking places into smaller areas
• using different colours and textured materials appropriately
• using landscaping to provide visual impact to parking areas.

In addition to the above, the designer needs to consider how well the design of the car park area, building, etc fits into the overall environment. This would include aspects of types of access, pedestrian use (including users of mobility devices), safety, landscape and site context. Further information is provided within the New Zealand urban design protocol, the National guidelines for crime prevention through environmental design in New Zealand and Austroads Guide to traffic management: Part 11: Parking.

4.3  Characteristics of users

When developing parking areas, the type and characteristics of potential users need to be considered in order that their requirements are taken into account during the design. Potential users include:

• Casual users: These are usually short-term visitors to an area who would not be familiar with the parking systems in place. These types of users may warrant larger parking spaces being made available.
• Regular users: Those who are familiar with the parking system. These types of users may be comfortable with using smaller car parking spaces.
• Disabled users: These are defined within the Building Act 2004 and NZS 4121: 2001 Design for access and mobility – buildings and associated facilities. Types of mobility-impaired users and their requirements should be identified within any parking strategy in order to provide sufficient facilities. Parking for people with disabilities is required under law as set down in the Building Act 2004. The requirements generally refer to a percentage of spaces being made available to those with disabilities.
  
  NZS 4121:2001 states ‘it is required under Section 118 (previously section 47A ) of the Building Act to provide car parks for disabled road users’, and car parks provided for this purpose must be on an accessible route and as close as practicable to the site. The standard also refers to the minimum requirements for design standards, accessibility issues and the minimum number of parks required dependent on the land use.
  
  Reference to layouts and requirements is also detailed in NZS 4121: 2001
  
  Those road users with disabilities able to use this type of parking need to apply to CCS Mobility Action and other approved providers for a disability parking permit, which is required to be displayed for enforcement purposes. Note: The majority of TAs will accept international mobility permits when enforcing the use of disability parking spaces.
• Other: Off-road parking facilities (such as supermarkets, hospitals, universities) may provide space for users other than those listed above who require specific design requirements. For instance, ‘parent and child’ parking bays, reserved for parents travelling with children (often up to approximately eight years of age), may be provided and would probably need to be designed to accommodate push chairs and prams being taken out of, or put back into, a car.

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