As car ownership continues to grow in Dhaka, there is concern about how to accommodate the growing need for car parking. Suggestions include allocating increasing amounts of roadside space and building new parking structures. But does this make sense? Is there an endpoint to people’s desire for free/low cost car parking, or are other needs more important?

Streets are valuable urban space and should not be handed out for free to the wealthiest individuals. Building parking structures is extremely expensive and of little use when car owners wish to park as close as possible to their destination. Provision of car parking in residential buildings incentivizes the purchase of cars, thereby increasing space demands as well as mortality through crashes. When buildings have car parking on the ground floor, they are more likely to be damaged by earthquakes. Download