Christchurch faces a parking crisis in the future as population and vehicle numbers in the city continue to increase. Demand for parking is now being experienced across the city – including on inner-city streets, around shopping centres, outside educational centres and at sports grounds.

In the future, these issues won’t resolve themselves. Instead they will only get worse, and most likely at the expense of our city’s attractiveness. Our Garden City is in danger of becoming a city of car parks.

We don’t have to accept the consequences that may result from conflicting demands over limited parking. Parking is an issue that needs careful planning and management to provide the best possible use of resources for the community.

In a special supplement to this month’s City Scene, we outline some of the key issues surrounding parking, and the proposed solutions that are detailed in the draft parking strategy.

The supplement provides a summary of a new document called “Parking Strategy for the Garden City: Consultation Document”, which has just been released for public consultation.

The Council’s vision is to provide and manage parking in Christchurch that meets the community’s aspirations, protects the environment, supports economic vitality and complements the over-all transport system.

No single measure will turn this vision into reality. Instead it will require many measures to be taken over a period of years. Some of these are already in place, and there will also be new measures to affect the provision and management of parking.

Parking is everybody’s issue because almost every journey we make ends with the need to park in some form. You are invited to make a submission in writing by using a form included in the full strategy document, or online at the website www.ccc.govt.nz/ParkingStrategy Submissions close on Friday, 8 November 2002.

• For further information please contact Heather Wallis, City Development Group, ph: 941 8292, or email ParkingStrategy@ccc.govt.nz