Recently, David O’Connor, the deputy dean of and the department head of Engineering Transportation and planning of Technological University Dublin(TU Dublin) gave a lecture on strategies for sustainable parking systems to students majoring in urban and rural planning in his visiting period of Gengdan. In addition to serving as a deputy dean and department head of the Engineering Transportation and Planning at TU Dublin, David O’Connor also serves as a member of the Irish Transport Strategic Development Committee, the Irish Transport Systems Research Centre, the Irish Space Planning Systems Committee and the Dublin Municipal Government Public Transport Committee.The main research directions include Urban Pedestrian System, Public Transport Infrastructure Planning at different levels, Planning and Management of Urban Greening and Transportation, the relationship between Public Transport Infrastructure Network Construction and Community Development, Bicycle Road Network Structure and Urban Sustainable Development.

In the lecture, David introduced that Vauban Town and Rieselfeld Town both belong to Freiburg area in Germany. The planning used almost the same concept and technical index. Only road parking adopted different treatment methods. As a result, Vauban Town, which refused ground parking, became a living and working area suitable for walking and safe travel. Rieselfeld Town, which allowed ground parking and did not have centralized parking, suffered from traffic congestion after its completion.By sharing the positive and negative cases of two small towns in Germany, David elaborated on the planning phenomenon of “traffic for success and traffic for failure”,which triggered the students’ deep thinking and formed a deep impression in the students’ minds.

David also explained the relationship between traffic and space, especially the relationship between parking space and traffic organization changes with time，and how the planners plan well to guide the city towards sustainable, walkable and accessible directions.

Regarding an emerging trend of tactical urbanism, David shared the wonderful examples of Park Day activities in Dublin, London and Adelaide, Australia.That is, the local use of street parking space to temporarily transform its functions into public entertainment and community communication space, local residents can use cheap waste to form a mini street theater, street garden and street bar. Western planning trends and ideas have had a certain impact on students. David is good at giving methodical and patient guidance and left an open question as the end of the lecture: In Beijing, can we also achieve the above tactical urbanization.

Written：School of Engineering

Edited by: International Office

Source: BGD News (Chinese)