I am an urban access consultant committed to making places that improve the lives of their inhabitants. I’m especially interested in how people get around and enjoy easy, safe, independent lives, including dignified ageing in place.
That commitment underpins three decades of professional and academic life, and great projects, big and small, including a PhD.
My specific interests include: urban transit, walk-up to transit, transit and pedestrian accessibility, ‘Main Street’ shopping precincts, Main Street renewal, and urban parking solutions.
On the subject of parking, my book ‘Rethinking Parking: Planning and Urban Design Perspectives’, was published by Routledge NY in 2024 – see my recent interview on parking with The Age here, or in The Guardian (with the click bait headline) here, or my talk on parking reform here.
As an urban planning professional my objective is to balance key needs and wants, that means putting parking on tap, not on top. My book does that by providing a fresh view of urban parking – one that looks beyond the ‘me, here, now’ view from the driver’s seat, via five perspectives – place, politics, policy, price and professional practice.
Much of my work involves working with planners, elected members and affected communities. There is a focus on research leading to good data, joining the circle with sound consultation to move beyond knee jerk responses and realise broader and longer term objectives.
In my experience, locals and visitors, when reflecting on what they really value, tend to emphasise wellbeing, pride and their connection to their community and place. When asked about their place needs they often refer to ease of local walking, and safe access to goods and services. Communities often flag broader concerns that are shaped by parking policies such as local traffic safety and access to affordable, accessible housing and development.
These local objectives are easily overshadowed by a perceived demand for more and more cheap, easy parking. But change is nigh, whether we like it or not. New technologies and better data, with changing demographics, such as an ageing community, are prompting a paradigm shift in how we view access and mobility – and how we sensibly provide parking to ensure we have places worth visiting.
Rethinking an Entitlement to Park.
Banksy strikes again…
Place Visions
My local work seeks to tease out viable visions for urban and rural places, For example, my work with the Penneshaw (KI) and Baudin Beach (KI) communities led to a 2040 Vision for these settlements. It was a very satisfying process, engaging people, young and old, across the community. That process has supported millions of new investment in place-making and footpaths.
Place is central to our sense of identity and our well-being. It’s useful to have a vision for your place that helps to balance short term objectives with the longer term needs and wants of that community. See two examples below.
Penneshaw Town Centre, Kangaroo Island.
Baudin Beach is a small beachside community on Kangaroo Island. The visioning process was undertaken with the progress association members over two sessions. The process highlighted a number of threats and weaknesses, but also highlighted many strengths and opportunities. See their document in the slideshow below.
Baudin Beach, KI – 2040 Vision
David Mepham 