With many office and commercial buildings being converted to residential use, two important issues—curbside management and parking—are sometimes not given their due attention. Cities need to assess how vehicle storage, bike and bus lanes, and drop-off zones in front of buildings may need to change because of office-to-residential conversions.
Curbside space is a hot commodity for residents who want to be picked up or dropped off near the building entrance.
In commercial and mixed-use settings, short-term parking for delivery drivers is essential. Mass transit stops and parking for cars, bikes, and micromobility vehicles also require curbside space.
City planners are challenged to create traffic configurations and allocate enough space for all uses. Studies of how curbsides are being used can help planners better design solutions.
Added parking meters or activated alleyways are among the possible remedies for office-to-residential conversions.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Mar 27, 2017
New York warehouse to become an office mixing industrial and modern aesthetics
The building is located in West Chelsea between the High Line and West Street.
Adaptive Reuse | Nov 9, 2016
Middle school transformed into affordable housing for seniors
The project received $3.8 million in public financing in exchange for constructing units for residents earning less than 60 percent of the area’s median income.
Adaptive Reuse | Nov 7, 2016
From fuel to food: adaptive reuse converts a closed gas station in Princeton, N.J., to a Nomad pizza
The original building dates back to the Modernist 1930s.
Hotel Facilities | Sep 7, 2016
Fish out of water: The site of a Birdseye frozen-food factory in Gloucester, Mass., transforms into a seaside hotel
The construction of this 94-room hotel and conference center pitted tourism proponents against locals who want to preserve this historic city’s fishing heritage.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 24, 2016
A symposium in New Jersey examines how a consolidating healthcare industry can better manage its excess real estate
As service providers position themselves closer to their communities, they are looking for ways to redirect non-core buildings and land for other purposes.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 7, 2016
Redevelopment plan announced for Chicago’s historic Cook County Hospital
The century-old, Beaux Arts architecture-inspired hospital will transform into a mixed-use development.
