I've come up with a rule for parking that helps a ton: start looking outward from your destination, and park in the first open spot you see. Invariably, the walk time from that spot will be less than the time you'd spend searching and waiting for a "good" space.
Lots to unpack here and probably a few masters dissertations on social habits shaped by auto/human behaviour. I'm always astounded in my little city (40,000), with a legacy CBD of about 12 blocks square, how personally affronted locals are when they have to park more than 100 meters from their downtown destination. Despite being perfectly mobile and in great weather. Conditioned by the Walmart and other big box operators on the outskirts of town.
You have a point for many, but what does it say about me that I stopped going to Trader Joe’s and instead go to Wegmans for the convenience of easy parking and pick up orders? Am I making the right call by not being an urbanist, or am I missing out on something?
Fascinating piece. It does make me think of Walmarts, however, which seem to always have massive parking lots that are simultaneously incredibly stressful to navigate. Would a slightly smaller Walmart parking lot actually be LESS dreadful than the massive ones?
I always find it interesting people complain about not being able to park downtown because they might have to walk 2 or 3 blocks to their destination, but the same people think nothing of walking across a Costco, or any number of big box retailers, parking lot, and then walking hundreds of feet around the store and then back out to their car.
How refreshing it feels to me this morning to read a thoughtful piece , and the considerate comments as well, on the value of varied perspectives via situational awareness. Thanks to the author and … well to everyone here. May you all enjoy your day today.
I understand the point being made here, and I don’t disagree, exactly. I for one have never understood why people circle endlessly looking for a parking spot fifty meters closer than the tons of open spaces two aisles over. I just park wherever and walk.
But in other pieces, you also inveigh against the idea that urbanism is or should be form of ‘eat your vegetables’; something good and good for you but not necessarily enjoyable. It seems that here you’re saying that urbanism is eating your vegetables, and that this is good because it allows useful or different things like Trader Joe’s to exist when they otherwise might not.
I don’t think this is wrong, but I do think this kind of inconvenience is an inevitable result of doing sensible things like abolishing parking minimums. Which is to say that urbanists are indeed always going to be telling people they have to eat their vegetables. This is simply going to affect the appeal of urbanism, especially considering the status quo.
This, of course, is fine, all other things being equal. It’s a big country with room for everyone and every way of life. But the sheer number of veto points we’ve unwisely built into everything makes even modest achievements the work of a lifetime.
I struggle with parking. I don’t mind it if I have to walk a bit from a parking space far from the door, but crowded congested lots cause me a lot of anxiety. I’d just as soon stay home. (Don’t get me started on parking my mid-size car alongside some giant pick up.)
I've come up with a rule for parking that helps a ton: start looking outward from your destination, and park in the first open spot you see. Invariably, the walk time from that spot will be less than the time you'd spend searching and waiting for a "good" space.
They seek it here, they seek it there…
Lots to unpack here and probably a few masters dissertations on social habits shaped by auto/human behaviour. I'm always astounded in my little city (40,000), with a legacy CBD of about 12 blocks square, how personally affronted locals are when they have to park more than 100 meters from their downtown destination. Despite being perfectly mobile and in great weather. Conditioned by the Walmart and other big box operators on the outskirts of town.
Parking is a very small cost. What trader joes excels at is their revenue per square foot.
You have a point for many, but what does it say about me that I stopped going to Trader Joe’s and instead go to Wegmans for the convenience of easy parking and pick up orders? Am I making the right call by not being an urbanist, or am I missing out on something?
I always think of tight parking as a sign of a place worth visiting, even though I've never had trouble parking at my nearest Trader Joe's.
Fascinating piece. It does make me think of Walmarts, however, which seem to always have massive parking lots that are simultaneously incredibly stressful to navigate. Would a slightly smaller Walmart parking lot actually be LESS dreadful than the massive ones?
I always find it interesting people complain about not being able to park downtown because they might have to walk 2 or 3 blocks to their destination, but the same people think nothing of walking across a Costco, or any number of big box retailers, parking lot, and then walking hundreds of feet around the store and then back out to their car.
How refreshing it feels to me this morning to read a thoughtful piece , and the considerate comments as well, on the value of varied perspectives via situational awareness. Thanks to the author and … well to everyone here. May you all enjoy your day today.
We could take a moped or public transportation, bridging to a more urbanized setting. Wonderful article~
I understand the point being made here, and I don’t disagree, exactly. I for one have never understood why people circle endlessly looking for a parking spot fifty meters closer than the tons of open spaces two aisles over. I just park wherever and walk.
But in other pieces, you also inveigh against the idea that urbanism is or should be form of ‘eat your vegetables’; something good and good for you but not necessarily enjoyable. It seems that here you’re saying that urbanism is eating your vegetables, and that this is good because it allows useful or different things like Trader Joe’s to exist when they otherwise might not.
I don’t think this is wrong, but I do think this kind of inconvenience is an inevitable result of doing sensible things like abolishing parking minimums. Which is to say that urbanists are indeed always going to be telling people they have to eat their vegetables. This is simply going to affect the appeal of urbanism, especially considering the status quo.
This, of course, is fine, all other things being equal. It’s a big country with room for everyone and every way of life. But the sheer number of veto points we’ve unwisely built into everything makes even modest achievements the work of a lifetime.
I struggle with parking. I don’t mind it if I have to walk a bit from a parking space far from the door, but crowded congested lots cause me a lot of anxiety. I’d just as soon stay home. (Don’t get me started on parking my mid-size car alongside some giant pick up.)