A Contrinution of Parking Policy to Sustainable Urban Mobility

Abstract

The increased awareness towards quality of life and environmental standards along with high costs and limited spatial possibilities for traffic infrastructure expansion, have led to the transport planning paradigm shift. Instead of construction, new concept insists on a better use of existing infrastructure through the management of transport demand, primarily through modal shift from a car to alternative transport options. In this sense, parking demand management policy is increasingly seen as a powerful tool which can largely contribute to the realization of new concept. Parking policy becomes an integrated part of transport policy and it is more integrated with the general aims of the city in terms of mobility, urban planning and environmental quality. Nevertheless, even though the new concept of parking management has been adopted and parking is regulated in central areas of most Serbian cities and towns, the impression is that parking is poorly managed, hence above mentioned impacts are missing. According to our experience, the main reason lies in inadequate measures as well as in poor parking enforcement. This paper aims to demonstrate, on the example of one Serbian city, how proper parking management can solve parking problems, but also contribute to the realisation of sustainable urban mobility goals. Likewise, this paper intend to encourage transport policy makers in the region to implement parking policy within the sustainable urban mobility framework and to share their best practices in order to show tangible accomplishments, and to encourage researchers to engage in promoting this topic so as to gain its deserved place.