2. Quick Summary
This article is about the dangers of parking lots
Parking lots are often places of chaos, confusion and tragedy
Car backing into the front of a Costco store (6 people injured)
Elderly driver in parking lot in Cranbrook mistook the gas for the brake and crashed into a store
Is it the drivers or the parking lot design?
Both: People don’t care, are in a hurry
Reimagining the parking lot
Commercial lot: loop
Most private lots in Canada don’t fall under the jurisdiction of the HTA
3. Summary of Lorch (2005) Article
As seen within the Lorch (2005) article power centres have become the new enclosed malls
They can be built in stages
Campus style
Pedestrian activity is diminished by:
Distance between stores
Available parking lot spaces
Results of study
92.6% of people have a specific purpose for going to power centre
People don’t go to leisurely shop. They want to get in and out
41.6% people believe power centres are not safe for pedestrians
90% of the people park their car at least twice
Could this study be related to the number of accidents in mall parking lots?
4. Questions to Consider
Do you believe that it is the planning of the parking lot or the driver’s ability
causing these high amounts of accidents?
Do you think power centers have anything to do with the accidents
Compare them to a parking lot at a mall
Does a driver’s emotion come into play in a power center parking lot?
Would there be the same results in a parking lot for Wonderland or the zoo?
Why do you think parking lots aren’t made for pedestrians?
How could it become a more pedestrian friendly environment?
How can we as future planners better plan for parking lots in the future in
terms of:
Safety?
Environment?
Do you think that if more Canadian parking lots had the Highway Traffic Act
involved in collisions this would overall reduce the number of accidents?
5. Relation to Loch (2005) Article
Relates to auto-dependency of our population
We as a population drive everywhere these days and power centres are no exception
Going there for a specific reason not to leisurely shop means we want to “get in and get
out”
Whyte Ridge study 92.6% say they go there for a specific reason
This could change our driving habits
E.g. road rage, fighting for parking spots, speeding in lots
Leads to increased chances of accidents in these power centres
Study in the U.S. from 2004 to 2009 quotes that 23% of pedestrian-automobile accidents took
place in parking lots.
Plus making more than two stops (90% in study) would increase the chances of an
accident
Relates to Grant (2009) article Surrey planner: “Please, if you have a shopping centre,
don’t make it auto-oriented! Let’s cut down the number of parking spaces. Let’s bring
up the number of shops close to the sidewalk. Let’s create a pleasant walking
environment”
Relates to the pedestrian inaccessibility of power centers
These accidents would be a lot less if it were a standard mall
People park for an extended period therefore a lot less auto-dependency and less cars driving
6. Relation to Course
Relates to the change in planning Canada has undergone:
Urban growth
More focus on parking lot design to reduce accidents
Safety relates to High Park
Angle parking?
Relates to public vs. private sector debate
Although most parking lots are private should the government be involved to
reduce accidents and fatalities?
Highway Traffic Act in Ontario
Some main arteries of power centers for public use
Traffic Safety Act in Alberta
7. Relation to Course
Relates to the change in planning Canada has undergone:
Urban growth
More focus on parking lot design to reduce accidents
Safety relates to High Park
Angle parking?
Relates to public vs. private sector debate
Although most parking lots are private should the government be involved to
reduce accidents and fatalities?
Highway Traffic Act in Ontario
Some main arteries of power centers for public use
Traffic Safety Act in Alberta
