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Well-designed car parking can help create more attractive and safer communities, according to regeneration agency English Partnerships.
The way housebuilders arrange car spaces can affect the lives of residents and has a significant impact on the public environment.
The findings are contained in a new toolkit called "Car Parking: what works where published today by national regeneration agency English Partnerships in collaboration with Design for Homes.
"The debate should not only concentrate on "how many spaces but on "how and where car parking is incorporated into planning and design, said Trevor Beattie, Regional Director for English Partnerships speaking at the "Designing Affordable Housing conference.
"Car parking should not be seen as an after thought. Well-designed car parking is inseparable from good urban design, added Beattie.
The first of its kind, the toolkit identifies the widest range of parking options available to urban designers and offers practical advice to anyone needing to integrate car parking into a residential or mixed-use development.
Innovative solutions are provided to everyday car parking issues, for example, planning wider streets can deter motorists from parking on pavements. Putting cars in view of the home also encourages more street activity.
The toolkit draws on 24 case studies to illustrate design and layout principles. For example, Butts Green in Warrington, an English Partnerships, Bellway Homes and John Wilson Associates scheme, demonstrates how two-storey accommodation over garages makes efficient use of land.
From a visual point of view, the quality and scale of the buildings ensure that cars do not dominate the landscape.
Easy to use "traffic light symbols in the publication help the reader find the most appropriate design treatment for a specific location.
Trevor Beattie added: "This toolkit is an essential guide to help build sustainable communities.
David Birkbeck, Chief Executive for Design for Homes, urges architects to 'go for quality of the street above all else.'
He said: "There isnt a single best design answer when combining cars and the built environment. This toolkit proves how maximising the activity between the home and the car can lead to more welcoming and safer neighbourhoods for all.
