The Parking Garage
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-07-07/parking-garage
Dupont Garage, early 1900s.
Dupont Garage—“Public Garages: The Dupont Garage, Washington, D.C.,” Horseless Age 31, no. 19 (May 7, 1913): 793.
Parking garages have been part of the urban landscape for more than a century. How this often-maligned structure contributes to civic life and expands the future of transportation, architecture, and design.
Guests
Shannon Sanders McDonald
architect, author, and frequent speaker on architecture, parking, and transportation.
Robert Puentes
Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
BUDAPEST . Multiparker 730
please take a look at this video (it's relatively short) but it is truley state of the art and probably is appropriate to your current conversation. Thanks. Earl J. Sevin
Are your guest familiar with the Gruen Plan done for Fort Worth, Texas in 1956. It was bases on a series of parking garages located on the perimeter of downtown. These garages were intended to allow the core of downtown to be a major pedestrian zone. Jane Jacobs wrote at the time, that this was one of the most forward thinking plans for any city in the country.
am wondering if the author looks at the development of the downtown, urban pedestrian mall of the 50s and 60s, that banished automobiles to side streets, and how planners coped with parking (for the pedestrians who presumably would park their cars to walk around, shop, look at the water feature, etc.)
good show
thanks
I work in an office building in Midtown Atlanta, and last year about this same time, a "span" fell off the side of part of the deck causing the entire midsection to collapse. I watched it happen from my office window. I believe about 50 cars were damaged. It was a sight to see! I was a bit timid when it reopened in January, but our parking company assured us it was completely safe, and we haven't had anything happen since then - and I haven't been afraid to park in there at all.
Thanks,
Josh Lewis
Atlanta
Yes!!! These guest must look at the Budapest Multiparker 730. I can't believe that "experts" don't know about this remarkable car park.
Yes!!! These guest must look at the Budapest Multiparker 730. I can't believe that "experts" don't know about this remarkable car park.
a good example of intergration of parking garage is the downtown Boulder Co garages. Street level has retail uses, second floor offices. Brick facing. the only hint of a garage is the entrance and exit area.
I am working on ways to put aquaponic greenhouses on the top level of parking garages. The fish which provide the nutrients can be located below in unused space, and the top deck is rarely used due to the hot sun, which is ideal for growing vegetables. The sloping deck is not a problem, and the greenhouse helps cool the building. www.synergyfish.com
On Long Island is a great example of shared parking. The stadium for the Long Island Ducks baseball team shares a parking lot with the adjacent court complex.
the challenge is the cost hurdle. Surface parkting is $2500/space vs structured parking is $11-15k/space. How do smaller less dense markets afford the difference?
Please tell Ms. McDonald that the converted parking garage in downtown Atlanta is part of Georgia State University, NOT the University of GA!
For those interested in a very cool technology focused on sustainability, check out www.twisthdm.com and their product called "LimeLight". The City of Grand Rapids recently installed this wireless control system in a new garage and the energy savings and safety enhancements have been impressive.
Coincidentally, "House of Cars", an exhibit at The National Building Museum (Smithsonian/ Pension Bldg./F Street/ Judiciary Square on Metro) runs through Sunday (free/$5 suggested donation). I saw it when in DC last week and found it more informative on the subject than Steve Roberts and guests. There are graphics/models/videos/photographs in a large 1st floor gallery space inside one of the most attractive and unique structures in the region. (Sponsored by the National Parking Association) Forget the hype down at the Newseum: This is the coolest vaulting catacomb in the District. (Their A/C works great!) And they have a big LEGO exhibit of large building models that has just opened. (I missed it.)
Yes, I am familiar wiht the Gruen plan and have one of his drawings of how parking was integrated into this plan. This is on page 178 of the book. He had many interesteing transportation related designs and built work that were well ahead of thier time and are becoming reality today.
I am glad that you enjoyed the exhibit as I was the consultant for the exhibit and it was based upon the book - they made the book come alive and it is a great exhibit!
This is a wonderful new automated facilty of many that are now coming on-line. We have over 10 new automated facilities of different automated technologes now in the United States. the largest one in the country designed by Park Plus to open in Towson, MD next month with over 400 automated spaces.
Yes, chapters 7 and 9 focus on this issue with several of the different approaches discused. The podium scheme with parking below sometimes linked wiht PRT, an emerging form of transit at the time, was very popular. As well this is when we saw over time the decilne of many of thiese pedestrian only streets. Edmond Bason the Philadelphis planner belived that you needed to keep the mix of automobiles and pedestrians to keep the city alibve and rejected a plan by Louis Kahn of large parking towers surrounding the city to "defend" the city - see chapters 7 and 9 of the book for more dietaiiled discussion of this topic.
Dear Josh,
I was also in Atlnata at the time and was amazed. Have you heard the conclusive report of what caused this to occur?
I am aware of it and automated parking roots go back to 1904 in Paris - chapter 5 in the book is all about automated parking - have fun and enjoy as I have !!
Dear James,
Boulder has done an amazing job with parking garages and transportation linkages and I visited the city to learn how they did this - it is a fascinating story that could not be tokd in its entirety in the book. Thank you for bringing this up !
Dear James,
It does all come down to land use and real estate costs whern attempting to determine how to develop parking spaces. The local planning office and codes can require certain approaches, however if land is plentiful and inexpensive the parking lot will typically be developed.
Thank you so much - I know this as the new President is from the school that I graduated from - Towson State University - so sorry for the misspeak !!
Shared use is an excellent approach and in large mixed-use projects can be quite a complicated mix of uses from residential to office and entertainment all combined. This is all studeid and precentages are calculated so that the "right" amount of parking is available at all times for all uses. Some shared parking can be quite simple as a person may own thier own space and rent it to an person who uses it during work hours and then the owner uses it at niight !
It's cool that you still find this photo. Hope to fine more garage photos. Good luck.