Free parking is the result of one of the worst urban planning policies in modern South Africa. It has transformed our cities from livable and walkable to overcrowded and unpleasant, while limiting housing supply and affordability. In effect, we are saying that housing cars is more important than housing our people.
The City of Cape Town reintroduced paid street parking, following a pandemic-induced pause. Some people felt this was a human rights violation. I remember a woman had a heated argument with the parking marshal over the parking fee of Rs 10.
Being used to free parking, she felt entitled to it. Like a teenager whose allowance has been cut and he has been thrown out of the house. But, his eligibility is not a surprise. Free parking is common in South Africa, so we expect it.
But calling it free is a misnomer. While it is often free for users, parking is not free. In fact, it's so expensive that, at first glance, free parking in our free market economy seems strange.
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There is nothing wrong with the free parking system, rather it is the result of one of the worst-conceived urban planning policies of modern South Africa. A policy that over decades has transformed our cities from vibrant and walkable to overcrowded and unpleasant – while also limiting housing supply and affordability.
This is an account of how off-street parking requirements (or just “parking requirements”) can ruin our cities.
What are the parking requirements?
Parking requirements regulate how much parking is required for each land use in a city…