Parking Updates | In response to parking shortages, Nanjing is promoting comprehensive area‑wide improvements.

　　Systems thinking drives comprehensive area-wide improvement.

　　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. Yet the shortfall in static parking spaces alone exceeded 400,000, highlighting a severe mismatch between supply and demand. This challenge is particularly acute in older residential neighborhoods in the city’s central area, where finding a parking spot is exceedingly difficult.

　　Unlike the past approach of simply “adding” parking spaces one street or one residential community at a time—expanding supply wherever parking was lacking—this round of efforts to address parking shortages in Nanjing has designated 10 representative zones, implementing systematic improvements on a zone-by-zone basis. Among these 10 areas, most are densely populated residential districts in the city center, such as Lanjiazhuang in Xuanwu District, Sifang Xincun in Qinhuai District, Dananhu in Jianye District, and the Longjiang area in Gulou District. At the same time, key urban functional zones—including the area around the Hexi Children’s Hospital and the Fuzimiao district—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 36,600 residents, with a motor vehicle ownership of 7,680 vehicles and a parking‑space shortfall of 2,089 spaces. In response, the relevant authorities have formulated a series of improvement measures, including tapping the potential of underground space to increase parking capacity, developing parking guidance systems, and enhancing the efficient use of existing resources.

　　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.

　　Adopt differentiated policies and formulate tailored solutions.

　　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 underground and surface 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. Under the planned development, six new public parking facilities will be constructed within the district, providing 1,465 parking spots. In addition, by designating on‑street parking spaces along Huxi Street and Nanhu Road for limited‑time nighttime use, residents’ parking needs can largely be met.

Development planning to tap into parking resources.

　　A relevant official from the Nanjing Municipal Transportation Bureau stated that, in accordance with the plan, Nanjing will adopt a multi-pronged approach—through new construction, tapping existing capacity, and improved management—to ensure the successful completion of parking‑relief projects 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 calls for 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 interests and the public good.

　　“Staggered parking is an important measure to address the challenge of finding parking, and we are actively promoting it. However, in practice, some government agencies and public institutions have not been fully cooperative, making coordination extremely difficult,” said a local official. To expand parking capacity in targeted areas, 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 could move forward much more effectively,” the official added.

　　According to reports, Nanjing 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 also plans to 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 to be addressed in the development of public parking facilities. After certain standalone underground parking garages are completed, they often remain underutilized due to low vehicle occupancy, leaving them under‑served. Meanwhile, most residents continue to prefer parking their vehicles on the street or at ground level for convenience. Coupled with low or even free nighttime rates for on‑street parking, this further exacerbates the problem of idle capacity in these underground parking facilities.

　　In response, officials from relevant departments in Nanjing have recommended formulating and refining fee‑management policies to address the uneven utilization of parking facilities. By adopting market‑based approaches, they aim to encourage private investors and state-owned enterprises to take a more active role in developing on‑street parking structures and underground parking lots, thereby better meeting the public’s parking needs.