Too much parking? Who would have thought? But it’s true, an overwhelming surplus of parking has hollowed out Detroit. It’s understandable that the epicenter of car-land would be parking heavy, and besides that, the situation has been compounded by unfavorable attitudes toward public transportation. So much land has been devoted to the car that there isn’t much left for businesses and people.
“…39.2 percent of the land in downtown Detroit has been paved over or built up for the purposes of parking. There are surface lots across the street from each other, parking garages around nearly every corner, more than 5,000 spaces alone within the half mile around Comerica Park.”
“This is definitely a self-perpetuating cycle in which you sort of drain the vibrancy out of an area by adding more parking,” (Rob) Linn says, “which then makes the area seem unsafe, which makes you feel a little more uncomfortable in the space, which makes you add more parking.”
The article includes Linn’s color-coded map showing the enormous cluster of lots and garages at the city center – an astounding image, truth be told. If this sounds anti-parking in any way, I apologize. However, it is meant to support the concept of “controlled,” or in other words, “paid,” parking.
2 Responses
I’m sure this parking was needed when Detroit was a vibrant, profitable city. Not so much when no one has a job Downtown and the city is in bankruptcy.
Do you ever think anything through?
I’m sure you’re right and I certainly do, but I’d have to write paragraphs and paragraphs justifying and qualifying everything I say to please every reader out there. In this post, I’m commenting on the current situation in Detroit. Maybe there is a solution to be found to address this, and other, issues in that city.