Parking in Progress: The Evolution of Parking Garages

In the U.S. there are approximately 40,000 parking garages (Hartt, 2014) and that number continues to grow rapidly; for years the design of those structures has stayed stagnant, not being rethought since their conception around the 1950\u27s. Meanwhile the automobile industries are evolving more rapidly than ever before to create smarter and more energy efficient technologies. The automobile has become a staple of society and there is little chance of it being eliminated from our society; it is a necessary evil at this point. As vehicles rose in popularity there came the need for parking, and before long there was a sort of competition to get the perfect spot as described by Bill Vauhgan. Why we hunt for the perfect spot, is really not sure, but I am guilty of it too. It may have something to do with security; to have views of one\u27s vehicles or perhaps it has more to do with showing off one\u27s vehicles front and center. Why we do it really isn\u27t that important; however, it is important to note that the search for the spot right up front has led to a great deal of negative effects on the climate over the past decades and a number of government policies and codes being enacted. This project stems from the aims to make a change in the way the public perceives parking garages; in order to further make waves in the way policies are handled regarding those structures and furthermore, make a difference on the environmental effects associated with parking. Throughout the study one will encounter an analysis of the typologies of parking garages in order to create informed decisions about the way parking garages are designed in the future.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/arch_grad_capstones/1045/thumbnail.jp