Cars, cars everywhere and not a space to park! This is the problem we are facing these days, as the number of cars has ballooned out of proportion. Parking spaces have not grown in the same proportion and now some innovative parking solutions have been devised by people worldwide. Some of these make perfect sense and are truly admirable, while some ideas are totally wacky. Check out these unconventional car parking solutions:
10 Innovative car parking solutions
1. Women only
Image Source : thesun.co.uk
It’s a man’s world and looks like it will stay that way for some time to come. Though women have come a long way, and they are a part of the workforce, but women are still vulnerable. There have been several instances when women have been attacked in isolated parking spaces.
So, women only parking spaces are a blessing to keep women safe from criminals and car thefts. Parking spaces for women should be planned typically near office buildings, shopping malls etc. England, Germany, China and South Korea already have car parking solutions for women only.
2. Mercedes Benz’s Smart Cars
One of the creative ideas for parking lots for small cars has been designed by Mercedes Benz. The beautiful structure is an example of the creative concepts which are being designed these days as new and improved parking spaces.
The building is see-through and the cars are stacked one on top of the other, on platforms. The whole mechanism is quite complicated, but it could be modified for personal use or commercial use. The cars would have to be parked underground and then lifted up and lowered on the ground.
3. Bright and effective parking balloons
Image Source : freakonomics.com
A Korean company first started the parking balloon concept as a marketing gimmick. Their idea was very successful and appreciated by developers and people as well. It’s one of the most creative ideas for parking lots we have come across. It is a money saver and helps drivers park their cars in complexes in the simplest way.
How it works is that the balloon, which is tied to the floor of the parking space, and when a car parks, it will flatten the balloon. Standing balloons indicate that those parking spaces are empty. As the balloons are quite tall, drivers can see them from a distance and understand that those spaces are empty. A humble balloon therefore becomes the parking assistant and makes parking easy for drivers.
4. Cars on the balcony
It’s one of the weirder car parking solutions you’ll ever see. Cars are somehow parked miraculously on the balcony and squeezed into the basement. Though how they get in or out is a mystery. If solved then it could be an amazing solution, as owners could simply park their cars on their balconies.
5. Artistic parking space
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Can fine art and parking spaces be related in any way? It seems they can, going by the efforts of some artists, who used the parking space floor as their canvas. The monotonous cement floor was transformed into a thing of beauty by the artists.
It was not just beautiful, but each design stamped the owner’s identity, and no one could make any mistake, preventing space related misunderstanding. You can use this creative ideas for parking lots for your own use too, if you can paint, or else you can hire a professional to paint a lovely painting for you.
6. Mountlake Terrace Transit Center
Image Source : formacc.com
Most people do not prefer public transport as after parking, they have to walk long distances sometimes. The Mountlake Centre has a lot of parking space – it can park 890 vehicles and there is a lot of space for bicycles too. What is the most innovative feature is that buses run through the center throughout the day, making it easier for people to park their cars and access public transport. This is one of the best examples for parking space design architecture.
7. Parking spaces with solar energy
Image Source : constructionweekonline.com
Architects and designers are focusing on the sustainability factor when they design anything. One of the creative concepts which would be quite popular in the future, is installing electric vehicles’ charging stations. These stations would receive solar power from the photovoltaic cells installed on the roof of the parking space.
These kind of creative concepts are going to be the norm for car parking solutions in the future, as there would gradually be more electric vehicles on the road than fossil fuel vehicles. This idea is already in use in the Canopy Airport, Denver in Colorado, where there are charging points or stations for vehicles running on electricity. The airport is recovering the investment in solar energy by using the parking charges for the project.
8. Incorporating green features
Parking space become unusable during storms, as water accumulates in them. The Penn’s Lake Street garage in Philadelphia has quite a few sustainable features, such as stormwater management, water treatment plant on-site and using recycled water for landscaping. The garage has a natural vibe making it stand out as one of the car parking solutions which is surrounded by greenery, instead of the bland concrete structures we see everywhere.
9. CarTowers
Image Source : static.interestingengineering.com
The CarTowers is a car parking complex in Germany’s Wolfsburg. The car manufacturer Volkswagen, owns and operates this unique car storage facility for Volkswagens. This complex is often used as an example for novel design architecture. It can store 800 VWs at one time.
This one-of-a-kind car parking solutions is made out of glass and steel. The complex is a part of Audostadt, which also has many other attractions. The car park has a much less ecological footprint due to its space-saving design. The design is effective but nothing this good comes cheap, so replicating this design may turn out to be too expensive for builders right now.
10.Parking for bikes
One thing which deters green minded people from using bikes as alternative form of transport is because there are no secure places to park the bike in. A great idea is to utilize the walls at parking garages as wall-mounted bike parking space.
These great innovative ideas will gradually be used all over the world, as the maximum number of cars has to fit in the minimum amount of space. Parking space will also get a new and improved green makeover, to meet the needs of green vehicles.
