The evolution of parking management

Whilst in Singapore Jan met up with Paul Barter, a transport-policy researcher who has lived in Malaysia and Singapore for the last 30 years. He has a unique international perspective on how cities manage parking and the trends in parking management.

Interview with Paul Barter (part 1)

In this video, Paul explains some of the complexities and dilemmas cities are navigating when devising policies for parking as the number of cars proliferate and the demand for parking increases.

Paul refers to a vicious cycle in parking management whereby increased parking availability leads to more car usage, exacerbating congestion and pollution.
Conversely, a virtuous cycle where reduced parking availability encourages the use of alternative transportation modes, alleviating congestion and promoting sustainable urban mobility.

Interview with Paul Barter (part 2)

In this video, Paul explores the regulatory approaches associated with these cycles and the experiences of different countries with these cycles.

Your task

How would you categorise the parking policies pursued in the city or region where you live or work along the spectrum of approaches outlined by Paul? Is parking a contentious issue in local politics?