Parking Solutions | Nanjing Tackles Parking Challenges Through a Multi‑Pronged Approach: Systematic Remediation of Ten Areas with Severe Parking Shortages

As the number of vehicles continues to rise, parking shortages have become a major pain point in the development of many large and medium-sized cities. In recent years, Nanjing has made significant efforts to address urban challenges such as the difficulty of finding parking. Since the beginning of this year, it has further included the comprehensive renovation of ten areas with particularly acute parking problems—such as the Fuzimiao district—into its list of practical projects for the people. Through innovative measures and systematic governance, we are charting a new path to address the city’s parking challenges.

Systemic thinking drives comprehensive area-wide improvement.

The root cause of the parking shortage is a mismatch between the number of vehicles and the availability of parking spaces.

According to incomplete statistics, as of the end of last year, the six districts south of the Yangtze River in Nanjing had a motor vehicle stock of 1.447 million, with a total of approximately 1.032 million parking spaces. The shortfall in static parking spaces alone exceeded 400,000, indicating a severe mismatch between supply and demand. Especially in some older residential neighborhoods in the city center, finding a parking space is extremely difficult.

The reporter noted that, unlike previous efforts that simply “added” parking spaces on a street-by-street or neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis—expanding supply wherever parking was lacking—this round of measures to address parking shortages in Nanjing has designated 10 representative zones and is implementing systematic improvements within each zone.

Among the 10 designated areas, the central urban districts with high residential density—such as Lanjiazhuang in Xuanwu District, Sifang Xincun in Qinhuai District, Dananhu in Jianye District, and the Longjiang area in Gulou District—account for the majority. Meanwhile, key urban functional zones—including the vicinity of the Hexi Children’s Hospital and the Fuzimiao area—have also been included in the remediation plan.

Taking the Longjiang area as an example, this district—bounded by Qingliangmen Avenue to the south, Caochangmen Avenue to the north, Longyuan West Road–Zhanjiang Road to the west, and Longyuan East Road–Fenghuang East Street to the east—covers a total area of just about 1 square kilometer. It is home to 12,000 households and a population of 36,600, with motor vehicle ownership reaching 7,680 vehicles and a parking shortage of 2,089 spaces. Based on this, the relevant authorities have formulated a series of remediation strategies, including tapping the potential of underground spaces, increasing parking capacity, developing parking guidance systems, and enhancing resource utilization.

By constructing new parking facilities and renovating existing ones, staggering the opening hours of parking lots owned by government agencies, enterprises, and public institutions, designating nighttime parking spaces on roads, and coordinating with nearby parking providers in the area, an additional 1,879 parking spaces have been created, addressing 90% of the existing parking shortage.

“Taking the entire district as a whole, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of parking demand gaps, diurnal commuter traffic patterns, and other relevant data. At the same time, we identified available sites for parking facility development within the area, as well as public parking resources held by government agencies and institutions. Through integrated regional planning, we have pinpointed the most effective solutions to address parking challenges.” A relevant official from Gulou District stated.

Adopt differentiated strategies and formulate tailored solutions.

The causes of parking difficulties vary across different districts, and corresponding solutions must be tailored to local conditions.

Covering an area of 0.6 square kilometers, the Hexi Children’s Hospital district is home to fewer than 2,000 residents and has fewer than 400 registered motor vehicles. However, the hospital draws a large influx of patients and accompanying family members, leaving its originally planned 1,000 on‑street and underground parking spaces far short of demand. On typical outpatient days, the roads surrounding the hospital effectively turn into makeshift parking lots.

To address the parking shortage at Hexi Children’s Hospital, Jianye District and the Hexi Management Committee have included the expansion of parking facilities in their plans and launched related projects. In conjunction with the development of nearby schools, bus terminals, and other infrastructure, four new parking lots will be built, adding approximately 2,300 parking spaces.

The Dananhu area in Jianye District is a densely populated residential zone characterized by a high concentration of older, aging communities. With a population of 57,000, the area requires approximately 15,800 parking spaces at night, yet currently faces a shortfall of about 2,100 spaces. According to the plan, six new public parking lots will be built within the area, providing 1,465 parking spaces. In addition, by designating on-street parking spaces along Huxi Street and Nanhu Road and offering time‑limited nighttime parking for residents, the area’s parking needs can be largely met.

According to reports, since the launch of efforts to address ten major areas plagued by severe parking shortages in Nanjing, and under the coordinated leadership of relevant municipal and district authorities, significant progress has already been made.

In response to the shortage of parking spaces in the old urban residential areas and the limited availability of new development space, Gulou District has actively coordinated with schools and commercial complexes within the district to provide dedicated parking spots for residents’ nighttime use, thereby achieving efficient utilization of underused parking spaces during off-peak hours.

Qinhuai District is actively exploring smart parking management in the Fuzimiao area. In tandem with the development of a pedestrian-friendly street, it has designed and implemented a smart parking system for Fuzimiao. Through the “Fuzimiao One-Click Tour” WeChat official account, the public can access or receive real-time information on available parking spaces, thereby improving the efficiency of locating parking.

Xuanwu District and Gulou District have also each launched studies on comprehensive improvement plans for the Suojingcun area and the Huannandada area, respectively, which will effectively alleviate parking difficulties in these neighborhoods.

A responsible official from the Municipal Transportation Bureau stated that, in accordance with the plan, the city will adopt a multi-pronged approach—through new construction, tapping existing capacity, and improved management—to ensure the successful completion of parking‑relief initiatives in 10 key areas, all in line with the goal of delivering tangible benefits to the public.

In terms of parking infrastructure development, the plan includes constructing 34 new public parking facilities with a total of 8,432 parking spaces, upgrading 7 existing parking facilities to provide an additional 1,219 spaces, and designating on-street parking spaces at 13 locations, adding 525 spaces, thereby effectively expanding the supply of parking capacity.

In terms of tapping into underutilized parking resources, we have promoted the round-the-clock opening of parking facilities at government offices and select enterprises and public institutions (3 locations, 204 spaces), facilitated time‑shared use of parking spaces in certain residential communities and workplaces (8 locations, 843 spaces), leveraged commercially developed parking spaces for nighttime public access (18 locations, 2,200 spaces), implemented limited‑time nighttime on‑street parking for residents (1,283 spaces), and coordinated the activation of nearby parking resources for nighttime resident use (6 locations in the Tianmu Road and Longjiang areas, totaling 1,506 spaces), thereby further increasing the overall supply of parking spaces in the area.

Innovative measures have opened up a breakthrough in addressing the challenge of parking.

The parking shortage has long been a persistent and intractable problem because it involves the diverse interests and demands of various stakeholders, requiring a balancing act between localized and public interests.

“Staggered parking is an important measure to address the challenge of parking shortages, and we are actively promoting it. However, in practice, some government agencies and public institutions have not been fully cooperative, making coordination extremely difficult.” “A city‑district official told reporters that, in expanding parking capacity in the area, they have undertaken extensive coordination efforts. Several large and medium‑sized schools and commercial complexes have already agreed to make their underused nighttime parking facilities available to residents. ‘If there were clear policies and institutional frameworks in place, this initiative would gain even greater momentum.’” ”

According to reports, our city is currently considering the development of policies to encourage government agencies and public institutions to open up their public parking resources. While establishing mandatory requirements, the city will also provide certain forms of support to eligible entities—such as adopting uniform pricing standards with public parking facilities—to unlock greater potential in parking capacity.

There are also pressing issues that need to be addressed in the development of public parking facilities. After some standalone underground parking facilities are completed, they often remain underutilized for extended periods, with insufficient vehicle turnover. Meanwhile, most residents continue to prefer parking their vehicles on the street or in surface lots for convenience. Coupled with low or even free nighttime rates for on-street parking, this further exacerbates the underuse of these underground parking structures.

In response, a responsible official from the relevant municipal department recommended formulating and refining fee‑management policies to prevent uneven utilization of parking facilities. Employ market-based approaches to encourage private capital, state-owned enterprises, and other stakeholders to more actively participate in the development of parking facilities, such as surface parking garages and underground parking lots, thereby better meeting the parking needs of residents.