As time passes, experts foresee more people moving to cities. This will mean that space in those areas will need to be utilized extremely efficiently in order to accommodate the lifestyles of the residents in those urban centers. A type of structure that takes up a significant amount of space is a parking garage. Although the current parking garage layouts are adequate at present, they will need to undergo adjustments as the population continues to grow. We examine the future of parking garage design with some of the changes that are already taking place regarding them.
Providing Space for More Than Cars
People already face challenges finding parking in cities and many wish to minimize their carbon footprint while commuting and going about their daily routines. Parking garages can provide convenience to these individuals as well as for the driver by including storage space for alternative modes of transport. Examples could be bicycle and electric scooter stations from which people can rent a bike or scooter. Bike owners may also find simple bicycle racks useful as well. The section of the garage that houses these smaller transportation vehicles should have a clear separation from automobiles through walls and floor markings.
Making the Garage Convertible
Some experts believe that as more people come to urban areas, the overall population may begin to own fewer cars. Instead, people may rely on ride-sharing, alternatives like biking, and even automated vehicles at some point in the future. This could mean that certain buildings will not need as much parking space as they do right now. With this in mind, the future of parking garage design is shifting towards making spaces that people can repurpose for other uses. Developers are making floors that can carry more weight for people and their possessions while reducing the amount of sloped space within the garages. They are also making ceilings higher. These design considerations will make it possible for people to convert those garages into office buildings, residential areas, and other spaces if needed.
Incorporating Mechanical Parking Systems
Currently, many cities enforce a parking space minimum whenever new buildings are constructed to make sure drivers aren’t inconvenienced. Unfortunately, this has the side effect of creating large parking garages that do not use all their space to its fullest potential. Since space will become increasingly precious in the decades to come, those parking garages that remain necessary in cities can use mechanical parking systems to store more vehicles in a smaller area. Stackable car parking systems that hold automobiles on raised platforms allow developers to meet city parking standards without significantly widening or heightening a parking structure. These systems store vehicles in previously wasted vertical space. As a result, there is more land left for other uses.
If you want to implement mechanical parking in your parking garages, call Harding Steel to learn more about how these systems work and how you can incorporate them into your designs.