Parking Regulations | Hebei Province Promotes Opening Internal Parking Spaces of Government Agencies, Enterprises, and Public Institutions to the Public

Recently, the General Office of the People’s Government of Hebei Province issued the “Several Measures on Strengthening the Planning, Construction, and Management of Urban Parking Facilities,” which calls for enhancing the planning, construction, and management of urban parking infrastructure, elevating the quality of specialized parking‑facility master plans, advancing the development of parking facilities, standardizing the regulation of the parking industry, and meeting the growing demand in urban areas. Parking demand.

Refine the special plan for parking facilities. All localities shall, in accordance with the territorial spatial plan, formulate and refine comprehensive urban transportation system plans and specialized parking facility plans, and rationally allocate urban parking facilities in compliance with the “Urban Parking Facility Planning Guidelines” and the “Urban Parking Planning Standards.” The total planned supply of motor vehicle parking spaces shall be maintained at no less than 1.1 times the existing motor vehicle stock. The minimum parking space allocation standards for all types of buildings shall not fall below the lower limits stipulated in the “Hebei Province Urban Parking Facility Allocation and Construction Guidelines.”

Strengthen the management of the implementation of special plans. The main contents of the approved special plan for urban parking facilities, as well as the land designated for parking facility construction, shall be incorporated into the regulatory detailed planning and serve as the basis for the development and management of urban parking facilities, to be strictly enforced.

Ensure an adequate supply of land for parking. The supply of land for parking facilities shall be incorporated into the state‑owned construction land supply plan. Subject to compliance with planning requirements, the revitalization of existing land for parking development is encouraged. Incentive policies will be implemented, in accordance with relevant regulations, for projects that utilize existing construction land to build parking facilities; for adding parking‑related floor area within already completed residential communities; and for fully leveraging underground space in new buildings to construct underground parking garages exceeding standard capacity and opening them to the public as shared parking facilities.

Provide sufficient parking spaces as required by the building. Strengthen oversight and management of construction projects, rigorously scrutinize administrative permits such as land-use planning and construction project planning, and ensure that newly built, expanded, or renovated buildings are equipped with parking facilities that meet the applicable standards, thereby adequately providing sufficient parking capacity.

Coordinate and plan public parking spaces. Localities should conduct in-depth analyses of the spatial distribution of parking demand, identify areas where parking shortages are most acute, thoroughly examine the characteristics of these areas, and expand public parking capacity.

Scientifically designate on-street parking spaces. Conduct in-depth surveys of parking demand across different areas, scientifically calculate the turnover rate of on-street parking spaces, and comprehensively consider urban functional zoning, road classification, traffic flow characteristics, and other factors. Adopt a tailored approach for each street and each parking space, designating a certain number of on-street parking spaces in areas where building‑provided and public parking cannot adequately meet parking needs, thereby making efficient use of road resources.

Promote the development of multi‑storey parking facilities. Adhering to the principle of conserving and efficiently utilizing resources, we will promote the integrated use of urban land and vigorously advance the construction of mechanical multi‑storey parking facilities and parking garages. Local authorities should develop project management policies for such facilities, introduce incentive measures, streamline approval procedures, and, in compliance with planning requirements, initiate a number of pilot projects for multi‑storey parking infrastructure.

Increase the utilization rate of civil defense facilities for parking. When formulating civil defense engineering construction plans, ensure effective coordination with the city’s specialized parking facilities plan and the underground space development and utilization plan, while adhering to wartime functional requirements, and give full consideration to the urban parking service function.

Fully develop underground parking spaces. In conjunction with the city’s special plan for underground space, parking facilities shall be planned in a tiered manner within the underground realm. For parking facilities required to be provided as part of building projects, the principle of “underground first, above ground second” must be adhered to, thereby enhancing land-use efficiency. Underground space may be separately allocated for the development of public parking facilities, and such underground public parking lots may include ancillary commercial amenities, provided that the proportion of such amenities does not exceed 20%.

Increase investment and financing for parking facilities. Improve the market access regime by lowering the entry thresholds for entities engaged in the construction and operation of parking facilities, as well as for investment scales. Both enterprises and individuals may apply to invest in and build public parking facilities, with no minimum requirement on the number of parking spaces in principle. Reform the investment, construction, and operational management models for parking facilities to remove existing barriers to social participation.

Implement a smart parking management model. Establish and improve a mechanism for the registration and filing of urban parking facilities, refine urban parking infrastructure data, and require operators and managers of parking facilities to regularly update information on parking space allocation, parking‑space utilization, fee schedules, and other relevant data, making such information promptly available to the public.

Implement a differentiated parking pricing policy. Localities shall, in light of their specific circumstances, implement differentiated pricing for parking services based on region, location, vehicle type, and time period. Taking into account variations in parking supply and demand, as well as factors such as road network distribution, the level of public transport development, and traffic congestion, they should delineate distinct zones and apply tiered pricing. When formulating or adjusting fee standards for motor vehicle parking services subject to government price regulation, cost surveys or cost audits must be conducted, and public input should be solicited through forums, expert consultations, and public hearings. Fee levels should be determined by comprehensively considering geographic location, supply‑demand dynamics, and the public’s capacity to bear such costs.

Promote the opening of internal parking facilities. Accelerate the opening of on‑site parking spaces at government agencies, enterprises, public institutions, and other organizations to the public. Encourage the coordinated integration of parking facilities owned by enterprises, residential communities, and individuals, with unified management by professional parking operators, and explore models such as staggered‑hour access, paid usage, and revenue‑sharing arrangements, thereby effectively expanding the supply of urban parking capacity and enhancing the efficiency of parking facility utilization.

Comprehensively improve the parking environment in key areas. For key areas where the imbalance between parking supply and demand is particularly acute—such as aging residential neighborhoods, business districts, large hospitals, schools, major integrated transportation hubs, peripheral stations of urban rail transit, and tourist attractions—conduct a detailed analysis of the area’s parking infrastructure capacity, usage patterns, and the extent of the supply‑demand gap. Develop a comprehensive plan to improve the local parking environment, thoroughly examine the root causes of parking difficulties in each zone, and adopt tailored, targeted measures for each specific area.

Strengthen supervision and management of the parking industry. Adhering to the principle of “prioritizing key areas before general ones, and combining control with guidance,” we will designate parking‑intensive management zones and pilot streets in central urban areas and at comprehensive transportation hubs, cultivate sound vehicle‑use habits among the public, and gradually expand the demonstration‑driven impact.

The measures stipulate that, as the entities responsible for the planning, construction, and management of parking facilities, all municipal governments must firmly uphold a people-centered development philosophy, conduct in-depth analyses of local parking challenges, explore viable solutions, designate lead departments, and assume responsibility for the organizational coordination, overall planning, and implementation of parking facility development and management, thereby enhancing governance standards and effectively improving the urban parking environment.