PR341_P38-41_Campus.qxp_PR341_p38-41 10/09/2020 17:37 Page 38
CAMPUS PARKING
This year, preparations for the new academic year pose additional challenges for every university Majid Khan
The learning curve Sustainability is the target, but collaboration is the key when managing campus parking, writes Majid Khan
U
niversity estate management teams need to capitalise on the spirit of collaboration as the challenges posed by the current health crisis and ever more ambitious sustainability targets add to the pressure on parking facilities and the transport infrastructure. Co-operation and collaboration lie at the very heart of estates management within the Higher Education sector. As major employers with large campuses and very high visitor numbers, every university – whether city centre or out of town – has a major influence on its surroundings. Corporate social responsibilities are, therefore, taken very seriously as it is not in the interests of anyone for such centres of education to operate in isolation or without consideration to neighbouring organisations and communities. This is particularly significant in the area of parking and transport management, given the importance of public transport connections and seemingly insurmountable pressures on limited parking facilities. A national health crisis has simply reinforced this collaborative spirit. Here at the University of Leeds, for example, many members of staff have been working from home during the national lockdown so we immediately provided as much free parking as possible for NHS staff working in the neighbouring Leeds General Infirmary. Moreover, the significant impact of a pandemic on societal behaviour has undoubtedly added further impetus to the sustainability agenda and increased the importance of a collective resolve to improve the way we live and work as we look towards a ‘new normal’.
38 | SEPTEMBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW
The challenges in finding the right balance in parking provision for staff and visitors – and, in some cases, students – is nothing new for the estates management team at any university. However, the issues continue to intensify and, despite new technologies and service options, operational complexity and budgetary pressures are never far away. But, just as the benefits of a collaborative mindset can help deliver positive outcomes for local communities, it also helps to foster a cooperative culture where different universities can learn from the experiences of each other to fulfil broader service transformation goals. Every university has its own unique character, with site-specific physical constraints, legacy infrastructure or planning restrictions to contend with, over and above the core educational mission. Sharing experiences and concerns, though, and having access to definitive guidance and advice on legislative do’s and don’ts, and evolving technologies is invaluable. After all, few of us can have professional expertise in areas such as parking and transport management on the one hand and structural or electrical engineering on the other. It is for this reason that the International Parking Community (IPC) created a dedicated group for universities and other major centres of education to share their operational challenges, obtain clarity for new initiatives and glean insight into the myriad parking solutions that might be available. Meeting three times a year, the IPC’s Higher Education Special Interest Group is a pro-active forum that reflects and reinforces the collaborative spirit of the university sector and builds on the industry association’s commitment to deliver definitive advice and encourage the principles of ‘Best Practice’. It helps universities to find the most effective solution for even the most complex parking conundrum, covering all areas from parking charges, permit qualification criteria, enforcement and Blue Badge parking to transport subsidies, car-sharing programmes and significant legislative changes such as the new Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.
