Having trouble finding parking? The Jinhua Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning has introduced a new initiative: it’s the first to adopt high‑standard parking space dimensions and plans to add more than 20,000 new parking spaces!

Parking space dimensions have long been a topic of concern in urban life, yet one that is often overlooked. On October 21, the Jinhua Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning publicly released a new set of standards for planned parking spaces in the city, which could significantly alleviate the inconvenience residents face when trying to find parking.

　　Our city has taken the lead in implementing high-standard parking space dimensions.

　　“In recent years, the standard dimensions for compact‑car parking spaces in underground garages—typically in a vertical configuration—have generally been no less than 5.3 m long by 2.4 m wide. However, these dimensions are increasingly inadequate to accommodate newer SUVs and midsize to large sedans. To further enhance parking comfort and convenience for residents, and in alignment with the Zhejiang Provincial Standard “Technical Code for Building Area Calculation and Comprehensive As‑Built Survey of Construction Projects” (DB33/T 1152‑2018), implemented in 2018, Jinhua’s urban area is now taking the lead across the province by adopting more stringent standard dimensions for compact‑car parking spaces: a minimum specification of 6 m long by 2.5 m wide. This stricter requirement will apply to all newly approved construction projects at the municipal level going forward.”

　　What does 6m × 2.5m mean?

　　In accordance with the national standard “Code for Architectural Design of Parking Garages” and the Zhejiang provincial standard “Rules and Provision Standards for the Provision of Parking Facilities in Construction Projects,” the typical parking space dimensions are 5.3 meters in length and 2.4 meters in width. These figures represent the minimum dimensions calculated based on a compact car measuring 4.8 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and 2 meters high. However, according to statistics from the past two years on the exterior dimensions of passenger cars nationwide, a significant proportion of mid- to large-sized vehicles fall within the length–width range of 4.85–5.05 meters and 1.85–1.90 meters.

　　“Although this measure will require developers to expand the excavation area for basements, thereby directly increasing construction costs, it will significantly enhance comfort and convenience for users,” said a staff member from the Construction Project Management Office. Taking residential communities as an example, real estate companies are required, from the land‑acquisition stage through the architectural design phase, to design underground parking garages in full compliance with the new regulations on parking‑space dimensions. Subsequently, during the review of construction‑project planning permits and the final‑inspection process for completion, authorities will rigorously verify that parking‑space dimensions meet the prescribed standards, ensuring strict adherence to the new requirements. At present, the implementation of the new parking‑space dimensions has already begun in several newly launched developments within the city and in government‑funded projects; once put into service, these measures are expected to deliver positive results. Seizing this opportunity, the natural resources and planning authorities also urge design firms and review agencies to strictly enforce the relevant standards and ensure the proper construction of public parking facilities.

　　Parking is in such high demand that securing a spot is nearly impossible, prompting plans to add over 20,000 new parking spaces.

　　As the number of motor vehicles in our city has surged, the difficulty of finding a parking space has drawn widespread attention. To alleviate parking shortages—particularly in the central urban area and its core districts—the municipal department of natural resources and planning has strengthened oversight and regulation of on-site parking facility construction for new projects since 2013. Over the past six years, seizing the opportunity presented by the city’s efforts to become a National Civilized City, our municipality has implemented a range of measures that have, to varying degrees, helped ease parking challenges in key areas.

　　In 2018, taking advantage of Jinhua City’s initiative to become a National Civilized City, two specialized plans were developed: the “Special Plan for the Layout of Temporary Public Parking Facilities in Jinhua’s Central Urban Area” and the “Special Plan for the Layout of Public Parking Facilities in Jinhua’s Central Urban Area.” These plans provided a solid basis for relevant departments to implement public parking infrastructure, thereby alleviating, to some extent, the parking shortage in key areas.

　　“According to the plan, a total of 163 public parking facilities are slated for the central urban area, providing 33,192 parking spaces. Of these 163 facilities, 127 are planned as new additions, offering 25,678 additional spaces, while 36 existing facilities will be retained, with 7,514 spaces remaining. In addition, Wucheng District plans to establish 12 temporary parking lots with approximately 1,635 spaces; the Development Zone will add 12 temporary lots, providing about 1,731 spaces; and Jindong District will create 6 temporary lots, accommodating roughly 837 spaces, all aimed at fundamentally addressing the city’s longstanding issues of insufficient and poorly managed parking. All districts and relevant departments are urged to intensify efforts to develop public parking infrastructure, standardize the operation and management of parking facilities, and promote orderly vehicle parking.”

　　In addition, in the day-to-day management of construction projects, our city strictly requires project owners and design firms to provide a full complement of standard parking spaces, as well as public visitor parking, charging‑station parking, and accessible parking spaces, thereby strengthening the development and utilization of underground space. During the final planning review upon completion of construction projects, rigorous oversight is exercised to ensure that all planned parking provisions are fully implemented.

　　“As a road‑traffic support facility, our city’s parking infrastructure is continually being improved, and parking space dimensions are now more appropriately designed,” said a staff member from the Project Management Office. “In the future, our city’s parking system will undoubtedly undergo ongoing upgrades and standardizations, further enhancing management and service quality, elevating the city’s civic image, and providing greater convenience for residents’ travel.”