Parking Updates | Dalian City is prioritizing the construction of 12 parking projects this year.

In recent years, as the number of private vehicles has continued to rise, parking difficulties have become increasingly pronounced. The Dalian Municipal Housing and Urban–Rural Development Bureau stated that, while prioritizing 12 parking‑lot projects this year, it will also identify sites for additional parking facilities in areas with significant parking shortages, construct simple mechanical multi‑storey parking structures, and advance efforts to convert surface parking into underground or multi‑level systems.

There is a shortfall of approximately 260,000 public parking spaces.

　　In a proposal, Dalian Municipal Political Consultative Conference member Zang Weili stated that China’s private car ownership is growing at an annual rate of 20% to 30%, with roughly 3 million new parking spaces added each year. Based on the current vehicle stock, the city currently has about 580,000 public parking spaces, leaving a shortfall of approximately 260,000 and placing significant pressure on urban parking capacity. In its response, the Municipal Housing and Urban–Rural Development Bureau indicated that advancing parking‑lot development will focus on addressing the construction of “public parking facilities.”

　　In 2019, Dalian City prioritized the construction of mechanical multi‑level parking facilities and the conversion of existing surface parking lots into elevated structures. First, building on the 12 parking projects already designated as key initiatives this year, district governments were tasked with identifying additional sites for new parking facilities, focusing on areas with significant parking shortages around public institutions, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, and other high‑demand locations, and deploying simple mechanical multi‑level parking systems to advance the conversion of surface to elevated parking. Second, the city explored retrofitting retaining walls and implementing integrated improvement measures to increase parking capacity and alleviate parking difficulties in neighborhoods adjacent to such structures. In addition, thorough feasibility studies were conducted to repurpose existing bus depots (turnaround yards) located in prime urban areas for the development of multi‑level parking facilities.

　　Going forward, we will accelerate the industrialization of parking‑facility development, explore diverse public‑private partnership models—including PPP and BOT—liberalize market access, and encourage state‑owned enterprises to actively engage in market competition. By fostering healthy competition with private firms or promoting collaborative partnerships, we aim to leverage complementary strengths and advance the outcomes of parking‑lot construction.

54,000 nighttime on-street parking spaces have been designated in older residential neighborhoods.

　　To strengthen citywide scientific parking management and alleviate parking pressure, in recent years, the relevant municipal parking authorities have enforced strict controls on on‑street parking. Guided by the principle of “returning roads to traffic and to the public,” they have standardized parking space allocation according to the following guidelines: prioritize dynamic traffic over static parking; prohibit parking on main thoroughfares and sidewalks; allow it cautiously on secondary roads; and permit it appropriately on minor streets. At the same time, they have curtailed the scale of on‑street parking as new parking facilities are developed, reducing it year by year, while intensifying enforcement and imposing stricter penalties for unauthorized or improper parking to ensure smooth traffic flow. In accordance with the Dalian Municipal Measures for the Administration of Motor Vehicle Parking Lots, nearly 400 nighttime on‑street parking spots—providing a total of 54,000 spaces—have been established in older residential neighborhoods as a supplementary measure. These nighttime on‑street parking spaces operate from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the following day.

　　In addition, Cheng Liang, a member of the Dalian Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, has proposed that enterprises and public institutions located near older residential neighborhoods open their internally managed parking lots to the general public during non-working hours, allowing residents to park free of charge within designated time frames.