parking guidelines for large shopping centres - … · what typical objectives and strategies might...

Parking Guidelines for Large Shopping Centres

June 2016

Department of Transport

2 Parking Guidelines for Large Shopping Centres

This document has been published by the Department of Transport with input from the Department of Planning

Contents1. Introduction

2. What is the purpose of developing a PSMP? 4

3. What typical objectives and strategies might be found in a PSMP? 4

4. What are the advantages of developing a PSPM? 6

5. What is the process for developing a PSMP? 7

6. What should a PSPM contain? 8

7. Further reading 10

3Parking Guidelines for Large Shopping Centres

Large shopping centres are typically located within activity centres that have existing high quality services and infrastructure in place to support access. Large shopping centres are generally described as a shopping centre with a total gross lettable retail floor area greater than 10,000 square metres and typically incorporating at least one full-line department store and one major supermarket. Due to the variety of different land uses at large shopping centres, they are typically the biggest generator of trips within their activity centre on weekdays and on weekends. They generate significant numbers of access trips by staff, customers and delivery vehicles that impact the surrounding road network, public transport networks, and pedestrian and bicycle paths. As such, parking supply and management must be effectively managed at existing, redeveloped or new large shopping centres.

In a Western Australian context, the majority of staff and customers access large shopping centres by private car. This is largely due to the location of large shopping centres and the supply and availability of car parking that is generally free. The Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC), with advice and support from the Department of Planning (DoP), Department of Transport (DoT), Public Transport Authority (PTA), Main Roads WA (MRWA), and the relevant local government agency (LGA), typically place caps on centre parking provision to help reduce on-road congestion and encourage greater use of public transport, walking and cycling.

However, as car trips will remain one of the most important forms of access to existing and new large shopping centres, it is important that the parking provided is well-managed and that priority is given to people who need parking the most , such as the elderly. As such, large shopping centres should prepare a Parking Supply and Management Plan (PSMP) in order to manage supply of parking and the associated policy, management, and pricing strategies to mitigate impacts of parking on their centre’s internal and external road networks.

These Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the following documents, including:

• Parking Guidelines for Activity Centres (DoT 2016); and

• Travel Plan Guidelines for Large Shopping Centres (DoT 2016)

Parking Supply and Management Plan Guidelines for Large Shopping Centres

01 Introduction


02 What is the purpose of developing a PSMP?

A PSPM is intended to link parking supply with appropriate an appropriate management strategy. The preparation of a PSMP provides an opportunity for shopping centres to review current parking supply and utilisation, estimate future parking supply and amend the existing parking management strategy.

The Development Application (DA) or planning approval process will have normally set the overall maximum (and minimum) number of car parking spaces to be provided. A PSMP will often be produced first as a condition of development approval and will often be written in conjunction with a travel plan. A travel plan is also a condition of development and is intended to outline measures to reduce centre-generated car trips and encourage the use of other transport modes. Refer to Travel Plan Guidelines for Large Shopping Centres (DoT 2016) for further guidance to support access for active transport options to large shopping centres.

The WAPC, DoP, and DoT request that a PSPM (and a related travel plan) is produced by a shopping centre owner (or by an operator on the owner’s behalf) to govern the supply and management of a centre’s car parking bays and bicycle parking.

The PSMP also demonstrates that the shopping centre has considered the impacts of parking to the wider road, public transport, pedestrian and cycling networks during weekdays and weekends.

Briefly, a PSMP will typically outline a centre’s policies and commitments regarding:

• the allocation of approved car parking bays to different purposes;

• parking controls such as time limits and fees, including the way that they will be enforced;

• the configuration and management of bicycle parking and related facilities;

• the use of way finding systems; and

• monitoring and reporting of parking outcomes within and around the centre.

A shopping centre’s PSMP should continue to be updated over the life of the centre, with government approval sought for all but the most minor changes. If a shopping centre is sold, the responsibility for fulfilling the commitments in a PSMP will transfer to a new owner.

03 What typical objectives and strategies might be found in a PSMP?

Clear and practical objectives should be identified in a PSMP to guide the proposed management and supply of parking spaces. Many of the PSMP objectives might be taken from the shopping centre’s travel plan which should be developed in parallel with the PSMP. The objectives will generally address the following issues related to sustainable travel alternatives and parking management, including:

• making efficient use of bays;

• increasing the proportion of people accessing the centre by more sustainable transport modes (alternatives to the private car);

• minimising traffic congestion around the centre, especially at peak traffic times;

• minimising overflow parking problems around the centre;

• giving special needs groups priority access to parking bays; and

• providing convenient access to safe and well maintained bicycle end-of-trip facilities.

These objectives will also be accompanied by strategies to achieve them (see Table 1 for examples). It will often make sense to differentiate strategies by the broad user groups , such as “customers” or “staff”, who use parking differently and with whom the centre has a different relationship. The strategies are listed in the table on page 5.


Possible strategies

Maximise flexibility of use of parking spaces:• Avoid designating car parks for particular tenants or staff (service/delivery or special needs parking excepted);• Retain centre ownership of all car parking spaces to maintain ongoing control; and• Where designated office or similar parking is provided, allow public use out-of-business hours by specified

arrangement.

Discourage commuter use, especially in peaks when congestion is higher and other transport is readily is available:• Provide escalating parking fees (especially over 5 or more hours) to discourage all-day parking, and/or use

maximum time limits (e.g. 4 hours);• Keep long-term parking areas closed during the morning peak;• Consider discounts or exemptions for staff rostered on early or late shifts and alternatives for unexpected working

late (a discounted taxi home); and• Monitor use of car parking (especially by all-day commuters) and assess effectiveness of controls in six-monthly

reports.

Prioritise the most convenient parking for customers rather than staff:• Designate parking closer to entrances as customer-only and restrict staff to parking in less central locations (e.g.

behind a painted line); and• Restrict employees from parking in customer-only spaces, using effective enforcement strategies (e.g. registering

staff cars for staff parking permit, number plate recognition, and violation notices/fines for regular non-compliance).

Encourage staff to commute using sustainable transport modes:• Provide staff with free bicycle parking facilities and easy-to-organise, free access to showers and lockers;• Provide benefits to staff (e.g. discounted public transport fares) linked to costs saved/benefits achieved by averting

the need for additional parking provision;• Ensure that charges apply to staff parking, including strategies for differentiating staff from customers; and• Develop a policy for allocating staff parking according to need (with a presumption against providing parking for

staff living in areas well-served by public transport).

Encourage customers to access the centre through sustainable transport modes:• Ensure that parking charges are applied to all customer parking;• Advertise alternative transport options to shoppers using car parking (e.g. on the availability of subsidised home

delivery services);• Provide convenient bays for centre-based car-share vehicles (car sharing is a more sustainable transport mode

when it supports lower overall car use); and• Provide conveniently-located public bicycle parking at all major entrances to the centre, covered by CCTV and with

drinking fountains and rentable lockers nearby.

Manage parking overspill into nearby streets:• Monitor effects of overspill on parking on surrounding streets;• Consider strategies at peak shopping times (e.g. Christmas and public holidays) to promote alternative transport

modes or temporarily reduce staff parking;• Provide a temporary overspill car park with a free shuttle bus service to/from the centre; and• Fund local government parking management measures (residential parking schemes) if overspill becomes a

chronic problem.

Minimise traffic caused by drivers searching for car parks:• Introduce effective wayfinding systems to empty parking bays; and• Improve online or app-based parking availability information.

Provide convenient access to parking spaces for people with special needs:• Prioritise the locations closest to entrances for disabled parking bays, elderly, parents with prams, etc.

Table 1 – Strategies supporting a PSMP


04 What are the advantages of developing a PSPM?

The primary reason that a PSPM for a large shopping centre is prepared is to guide parking supply and management as a condition of a DA for the centre’s development of redevelopment. However, a PSPM can also provide a number of benefits for key stakeholders such as centre managers, customers, tenants, staff and the wider community. The table below outlines some of these key benefits.

Table 2 – key stakeholder benefits

Stakeholder Potential benefits

Centre owner / manager

• Lower parking provision costs (land and construction) through more efficient use of parking bays;

• Centre gains reputation for greater accessibility and lower congestion;• Income stream from parking fees (at least to cover costs of provision); and• Better relationship with surrounding residents and businesses.

Customers • Greater availability of parking when needed through better management of spaces.

Tenants and staff

• Lower prices for goods and services due to removal of hidden subsidy for parking;• Ability to find available bays more quickly through better way finding information;• More convenient cycling to centres through well-managed bicycle parking; and• Better public transport services resulting from increased patronage.

Wider community

• Less traffic congestion, noise and pollution around centres, especially in peaks;• A greater proportion of trips made by non-car modes, with car parking still

accessible when needed; and• Better public transport services resulting from increased patronage and reduced

on-road congestion.


There are a number of key stakeholders groups that are impacted by the preparation of the PSMP. Stakeholder engagement should be a collaborate process and should occur early and regularly. Early engagement withDoT and the relevant LGA is also recommended to support a unified and consistent approach to the parking management strategy at the centre. However, stakeholder input should ensure that the preliminary principles underpinning development of a PSMP relating to good business management, social responsibility and environmental stewardship are still maintained. There are five basic steps in developing a PSMP. These steps include:

1) Identify the context and objectives for the PSMP

a. Check development approval documents for any parking requirements;

b. Outline traffic conditions and parking controls in surrounding streets (which can often be sourced from the development’s Transport Assessment); and

c. Develop a set of clear objectives (also referring to the shopping centre’s travel plan to consider including any of its objectives relevant to parking management).

2) List possible strategies for achieving the PSMP’s objectives

a. Consider suggestions in this document and other examples of ‘good practice’ for adaptation to the centre in question;

b. Consult with centre users (identified or potential tenants) on the practicalities of implementation; and

c. Consult with the DoT, MRWA and the relevant LGA.

3) Choose strategies to be adopted and record any other decisions made, ensuring that they can be assessed against measurable outcomes

a. Explain why particular parking management strategies were chosen;

b. Produce plans showing parking bay allocation for different users, wayfinding systems, and bicycle parking, lockers and showers;

c. Provide details of proposed parking time limits and fees, parking enforcement policies and practices, and access arrangements for cycling facilities; and

d. Outline proposed promotion and communication to tenants, staff and customers.

4) Commit to monitoring, review, and rectification procedures

a. Provide details of monitoring regimes for car parking spaces and bicycle facilities;

b. Give schedules for (e.g. annual) reports and lodgement with government;

c. Identify contact person/position with ongoing responsibility for the PSMP and outline procedures for managing dissatisfaction, regular reviews and amendments (including seeking government approval); and

d. Give voluntary undertakings on operation of facilities and propose consequences for the centre where it does not meet PSMP commitments, e.g. nominating a ‘fine’ to be paid towards transport improvements in the local area for every week the annual report is late.

5) Seek approval

a. The PSMP should be endorsed and approved from the DoT, MRWA, and the relevant LGA; and

b. Lodge a copy of the final report with the above organisations.

05 What is the process for developing a PSMP?


06 What should a PSPM contain?

When identifying what is required within the PSPM, early consultation with government agencies, such as DoT, DoP, and the relevant LGA is strongly recommended because they can provide guidance on the level of detail required for a PSMP and can provide the ultimate approval or endorsement of the PSMP. Guidance provided could be particularly helpful for challenging management issues such as staging of parking supply or application of interim parking management measures. However, responsibility for developing specific content rests with each shopping centre. It is recommended that a PSMP should address all relevant matters within the following table:


What to include in a PSMP1 Context

• Map showing centre location;• Summary of development (gross and net leasable area and expected tenancies), and where applicable, a comparison of

these to pre-existing development;• Details of the DA to which the PSMP relates, including the number of car parking bays approved and other conditions of

approval;• Quantification and assessment of parking controls on publicly available parking spaces within 400m of the centre’s

boundaries; and• Identification and contact details of centre landlord/owner and operator.

2 Objectives and possible strategies

• Outline of broad policy objectives that the parking management strategy is intended to achieve.• Identification of any travel plan objectives where relevant to parking management;• List of possible strategies for achieving the PSMP’s objectives;• Consideration of particular ‘good practice’ strategies for adaptation to the centre in question (see these Guidelines’

suggestions and explore other examples, e.g. Bluewater (UK) case study in Section 5 - Reference Material below);• A record of consultation with centre users (identified or potential tenants) on the practicalities of implementing possible

strategies; and• A record of consultation with the DoT, MRWA, and the relevant LGA on possible strategies, including a record of

substantive issues raised.

3 Decisions made

• Explanation of why particular parking management strategies were chosen (and why other possible strategies were rejected);

• A statement of how DA conditions have been satisfied, including a summary of rates of parking provision per gross/net leasable area. Any staged parking development should also demonstrate that it satisfies conditions at each stage;

• Plans showing parking bay allocation to short-stay and long-stay bays, as well as for different users, including taxi, service/delivery, disability, car sharing and parents’ parking spaces. Tables to summarise allocation;

• Plans showing wayfinding systems and detailing technology and signage to be used;• Plans showing bicycle parking, lockers and showers, with comparisons to Australian Standards (where relevant);• Details of parking time limits and the spaces to which they apply;• A schedule of the parking fees to be implemented, methods of application (ticketing; licence plate recognition on entry/

exit) and details of when they will apply;• Proposed parking enforcement policies and practices, including guidelines for possible use of warnings, fines, wheel

clamps or towing;• Details of proposed access arrangements to cycling facilities for staff and customers (as applicable).• Measurable outcomes provided for all strategies identified; and• Promotion and communication strategies aimed at tenants, staff and customers (e.g. tenant and staff induction packs,

ongoing communications, in-centre and external advertising).

4 Monitoring, review, and rectification

• Details of usage monitoring regimes for car parking spaces (within and outside the centre) and bicycle facilities;• Details of maintenance and upkeep required (for line marking, signage, etc.);• Schedules for producing (e.g. annual) reports and for their lodgement with the DoT;• Contact details for the person/position with ongoing responsibility for the PSMP;• Procedures for managing tenant/staff/customer dissatisfaction;• A schedule and outline of procedures for the regular review and amendment of the PSMP (including for government

approval of changes);• Voluntary undertakings on operation of facilities and consequences for the shopping centre where it does not meet PSMP

commitments. For example:

5 Approval

• Copies of approvals from the DoT, MRWA, and relevant LGA.

Table 3 – Content of the PSMP

i. promise to provide interim bicycle facilities whenever the usual facilities are unavailable; ii. nominate a ‘fine’ when the annual report is late, or when parking arrangements are changed without amending the PSMP and notifying authorities, to be donated to street tree planting in the area; andiii. commit to replace any measure withdrawn from the original PSMP (e.g. subsidised public transport fares for staff) with one of equal financial value.


1) On parking management in general:- Litman, T., Parking Management: Strategies, Evaluation and Planning. Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 5

November 2013.

2) ‘Good practice’ case studies:- Bluewater Travel Demand Management Case Study (UK).

3) Examples of escalating parking fees at suburban and regional shopping centres in Australia:- Westfield Geelong, VIC.- Rouse Hill Town Centre, NSW.- Westfield Garden City, Mt Gravatt, QLD.- Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, QLD.

07 Further reading

CONTACTDepartment of Transport 140 William Street Perth WA 6000 Telephone: (08) 6551 6000Email: [email protected] Website: www.transport.wa.gov.au

The information contained in this publication is provided in good faith and believed to be accurate at time of publication. The State shall in no way be liable for any loss sustained or incurred by anyone relying on the information. 0616

DoT 14980521

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