Photo: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue.

Parking in a Public Park, Brussels 2003

Many cities are facing acute difficulties to provide parking space, especially in central areas. This problem is particularly prevalent in Western Europe. In North American cities, suburbanization has often resulted into the abandonment of buildings in central areas. Many of these facilities have been torn down and converted into parking space (either as a vacant lot or as a dedicated multistoried facility), while awaiting a better use. This process did not much took place in Western Europe where the real estate of most of central areas have remained relatively unchanged. The above photo was taken in downtown Brussels where motorists desperate for parking space have parked their vehicles along a walkway in a public space. It is quite clear that the quality of this public space has been severely degraded.