Parking Regulations | Bao’an District, Shenzhen, Issues Detailed Rules for the Construction and Management of Mechanical Multi‑Storey Parking Facilities

At present, Bao’an District has completed projects such as the Jia’an Intelligent Multi‑Storey Parking Garage, and over the next three years it will add an additional 11,500 parking spaces, effectively alleviating the city’s parking shortage.

Following the issuance of these detailed rules, mechanical automated parking facilities in Bao’an that are filed as special‑equipment projects will be exempt from procedures such as land‑use planning and engineering planning. Upon obtaining consent from the land‑use right holder or the actual manager, applicants may proceed swiftly with the project approval process. Furthermore, automated parking facilities that are certified as eligible for subsidies may apply for corresponding financial incentives based on their type and the number of parking spaces they provide.

840,000 vehicles versus 381,000 parking spaces: Bao’an addresses residents’ parking challenges.

Data from a specialized study on static traffic planning indicate that, as of the end of 2019, Bao’an District had 1,533 parking facilities, providing approximately 381,000 parking spaces. With a private car ownership of about 840,000 vehicles, and based on international standards, the district’s parking demand is estimated at roughly one million spaces, leaving a shortfall of 618,000 spaces—equivalent to 61.6% of the total requirement. In recent years, deputies to the People’s Congress and members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference have repeatedly called on the government to introduce policies aimed at alleviating the “parking shortage” in Bao’an District.

The reporter learned that, building on municipal policy documents such as the “Interim Measures for the Administration of Mechanical Multi‑Storey Parking Facilities in Shenzhen” (Shen Fa Gai Gui [2018] No. 5), Bao’an District has further clarified the operational procedures for constructing mechanical multi‑storey parking facilities and formulated the “Detailed Implementation Rules for the Construction and Management of Mechanical Multi‑Storey Parking Facilities in Bao’an District.” The district has also streamlined application requirements and approval processes. Specifically, it designates subdistrict offices as the accepting authorities for project applications submitted by eligible applicants; establishes prohibitive and restrictive provisions regarding land use for mechanical multi‑storey parking facilities; and simplifies the land‑approval requirements for constructing such facilities on village‑collective land, allowing applicants to submit applications upon obtaining the consent of the village collective’s three governing bodies—the board of directors, the supervisory board, and the asset committee.

Establish a project database, with plans to add 11,500 new parking spaces over the next three years.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current parking situation and demand in Bao’an District and to systematically advance the development of mechanical automated parking facilities, the district has undertaken a special study on static traffic planning, established a project database for such facilities, and formulated a three-year implementation plan. Over the next three years, 43 new mechanical automated parking structures are slated for construction, expected to add approximately 11,500 parking spaces.

At present, Bao’an District has completed projects such as the Jia’an Intelligent Multi‑Storey Car Park, the Zone 44 Mechanical Multi‑Storey Car Park, the Bao’an People’s Hospital Intelligent Multi‑Storey Car Park, and the Fuyong Yiku Mechanical Multi‑Storey Car Park, adding more than 600 parking spaces and effectively alleviating parking shortages in certain areas.

The application process is faster, and eligible applicants can receive subsidies.

To facilitate applications from eligible communities to construct mechanical automated parking structures, Bao’an District has streamlined the approval process by delegating project submission and acceptance to the subdistrict offices within its jurisdiction. Newly built public parking facilities that meet the eligibility criteria may apply for incentives based on the number of parking spaces. Specifically, surface‑level parking lots are eligible for a reward of RMB 500 per space, above‑ground indoor parking lots receive RMB 15,000 per space, and underground parking lots are rewarded at RMB 20,000 per space.

It is worth noting that Bao’an District will also strictly regulate the development of mechanical automated parking facilities, establishing both prohibitive and restrictive provisions in line with the construction requirements for temporary structures. Such projects are prohibited within areas designated as basic farmland protection zones, ecological conservation red lines, first‑level source water protection zones, high‑voltage power corridors, and urban yellow lines. Where construction takes place within basic ecological control lines, conditional construction zones, or restricted construction zones, compliance with the relevant constraints is required.

● “You Ask, We Answer” (Policy Explanation)

Q1/What are the application procedures for mechanical automated parking facilities? What are the specific requirements?

Answer: Mechanical automated parking systems may be registered either as building‑related facilities or as special‑equipment installations. In cases where above‑ground mechanical automated parking systems are installed, or where existing underground spaces are retrofitted with such systems and the interior of the facility is not intended for human occupancy, registration should, in principle, be under the special‑equipment category. Conversely, the installation of underground mechanical automated parking systems should, in principle, be registered as a building‑related facility.

Q2/What are the requirements for the applicant entity in social investment?

Answer: (1) The holder of the land-use right or the actual manager thereof;

(2) A single market entity entrusted by the holder of the land-use right or the actual manager.

Q3/Can mechanical multi‑storey parking facilities declared as special equipment projects be accompanied by commercial or ancillary facilities?

Answer: For applications classified as special equipment, the facility’s interior space must be free of any personnel activity, and no commercial or ancillary facilities may be constructed on-site.

Q4/Which department, designated as the accepting authority for applications under the special equipment category, is responsible for processing these submissions?

Answer: Each subdistrict office is responsible for accepting project construction applications submitted by entities within its jurisdiction.

Xin’an: 27596752; Xixiang: 27932056; Hangcheng: 85905396; Fuyong: 85283635; Fuhai: 85900284; Shajing: 27201291; Xinqiao: 27275867; Songgang: 27098533; Yanluo: 27211385; Shiyan: 23083319.

Q5/ What application materials are required for filing under the special equipment category?

Answer: The application materials primarily include: a project application report for the mechanical automated parking facility; documentation demonstrating consent from the entity holding land-use rights or the actual manager; site‑boundary documentation; engineering survey reports; schematic design drawings for the mechanical automated parking facility; proof of the applicant’s identity; and a letter of commitment, among others.

Q6/ For land that was originally collectively owned by the village, or that falls within the scope of privately owned land in a residential area, what constitutes obtaining the consent of the land-use right holder or the actual manager?

Answer: Original village‑collective land must be approved by the board of directors, the supervisory board, and the asset management committee of the relevant shareholding cooperative. Where such land is located within the boundaries of a residential area, it shall be treated as a matter of significant importance affecting the interests of property owners and shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Property Law and the laws and regulations on property management.

Q7/Do mechanical automated parking systems need to be equipped with charging facilities? Will this affect the issuance of a license for commercial parking operations?

Answer: The provision of charging facilities is not a prerequisite for obtaining an operating license for mechanical parking garages; however, projects that are feasible should reserve space for future installation.