10.2 On street and opportunity parking

On street parking is the most efficient way of delivering parking and integrating it into the layout of a development, and the street types in this guide all allow for on street parking provision. It will also help slow traffic by introducing edge friction, and provide additional separation between moving vehicles and pedestrians and cyclists.

Appropriate on street parking typologies include:

On street parallel parking: This is the preferred approach for the single close to home parking space. Parallel parking maintains tight street enclosure ratios and ensures streets are not excessively wide. This would be particularly appropriate for wide house types.

On street echelon (45-degree parking): This should only be used when parallel parking cannot meet parking requirements.

Parking square / green: Parallel parking around a central squares, green space or junctions. These must be designed as places, incorporating trees and greenery, street furniture and differentiated paving.

Asphalt must not be used, and permeable materials are preferred.

Parking should be fronted and overlooked by the built form, and a minimum 2m margin should be provided around all spaces.

Central reservation parking: Parking integrated within landscapes strips, this may be particularly appropriate for high streets and avenues.

Figure 10-2: Examples of informal and formal parking squares (Credit – Create Streets)

The design of on street parking should consider the following:

• On street and opportunity parking must be unallocated, and where parallel parking is provided individual bays should not be marked.
• This is a flexible and spatially efficient approach that reduces the overall need for spaces.
• A bay on the public highway cannot be allocated.
• Parking spaces should be clearly delineated through landscaping or material differentiation.
• On street parking provides a good opportunity for introducing permeable paving into the street.
• Additional spaces can be provided by using varying street widths and taking advantage of leftover space on masterplans.
• There must be no parking permitted on the pavement.
• Nuisance parking should be controlled through efficient street design, which leaves no left-over space, and the use of trees, greenery and street furniture. For example, using shrubs or low-level planting in verges to discourage parking.
• Spaces should be broken up into groups of no more than three spaces, ideally separated by kerb build-outs that can incorporate trees, greenery, SuDS, EV chargers and bike parking to minimize the visual dominance of the cars. Alternatively, tree pits can be constructed directly on the carriageway to break up parking.
• Care must be taken to ensure there are clear places for pedestrian crossings and access to pavements and cycleways is not blocked by parking spaces.
• On street parking can be within visibility splays where traffic speeds and volumes are low, which should be most new streets, but should generally be avoided through design.

Figure 10-3a: Example of on-street parking. L: Goldsmith Street, Norwich. (Credit - Create Streets)

Figure 10-3b: Example of on-street parking. R: Finsbury Park, London (Credit - Create Streets)