This project “remanufactures” a greyfield parking lot adjacent to a vacant GM plan on the White River into a vibrant pedestrian oriented neighborhood. The goal is to create places that efficiently integrate vehicles and parking spaces into the urban fabric. The three objectives of the design are: walkability, affordability, and accessibility. The design will explore different options for providing parking spaces, as well as different ways to offset the need for vehicular parking spaces.
The research phase of this project addresses how parking spaces affect urban neighborhoods. A quantitative model is developed to explore the economics of parking and development and the impact of parking spaces on development density. The research also investigates how quality of life and the quality of social interaction can be improved through appropriate parking policy choices.
The design concepts are illustrated in the proposed GM White River redevelopment site. This site, just west of downtown Indianapolis, is an opportunity to show how parking strategies can be integrated into new and redeveloped urban areas. The design concepts are also compared to conventional policies to determine their value relative to other alternatives.
The demonstration project shows that creating urban areas in a car oriented city like Indianapolis can make urban living more affordable and more active. It also requires significantly less infrastructure and public investments, and still offers enough parking spaces for residents and visitors.