Illustrative sketches of a London development, showing how off-street parking can be future-proofed

Where car parking needs to be provided, how can it work with the principles of New Urban Mobility, and enable a transition to new uses, as private car ownership declines? Re-using plans from one of their recent London developments, Hawkins\Brown illustrate the interventions and design features that can make a basement car park convertible to other uses, in a future where New Urban Mobility becomes the most convenient way of moving around London.

2020;

Underground parking, which is built to meet planning requirements, is conceived with adaptability and sustainability in mind. Key interventions include:

• A wider structural grid, higher ceilings and reduced load above ground. These mean fewer columns are needed in the basement, to create larger areas of unobstructed and reusable space.
• Electric vehicle charging points are provided from the outset.
• Light wells where basement parking meets the street allow for partial lighting of future uses.
• A freight consolidation centre is located in the basement.
• A wider ramp allows delivery vehicles to access a consolidation centre, as well as segregated cycle lanes.

2030;

• The plant for processing car pollution in basement is replaced with bike storage as all cars become electric.
• There is a dedicated area for shared autonomous vehicles, which are more space efficient and now operational for local essential and emergency trips.
• The main road becomes a shared space dedicated primarily to pedestrians and cyclists.

2050;

• As private car ownership declines, car parking spaces are converted to retail and leisure uses.
• As logistics chains become more efficient and sustainable, local deliveries are carried out through cargo bikes and electric vehicles.
• Car sharing space becomes defunct if investment in public transport means it is no longer required – the space is replaced with restaurant and amenity area (accessed via the courtyard between residential blocks).