Parking in garages and hard standings accessed from the rear Print

Design Outcome


Desi​gn Checklist

  1. Quality street environments are established where the building front is prominent, positively addressing the street and not obsured by the car or garage
  2. Convenient and safe routes between the parking space and the house are provided
  3. Car and cycle parking​ is safe and secure
  4. An efficient use of the land is achieved without excessive land taken by parking and manoeuvring
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Regulatory Note

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Parking located behind the house is sometimes referred to as 'rear-loaded' parking and includes parking accessed from rear lanes.  Here the front entrance to the house is accessed off the public street.  

Parking accessed from the rear should address:

  • Access and connections between any rear lane and the primary street
  • Quality streetscape design of the rear lane / courtyard
  • Housing orientation and overlooking onto the rear lane / courtyard
  • Organisation of the house and especially outdoor private open space to allow for the parking space / carport / garage whilst maintaining sunlight access and general amenity quality of the private open space.
  • Possibility for shared / communal rear courtyards that serve as parking areas and open space.

This section will discuss the positive and negative attributes of parking behind the house, and offer guidance for achieving quality outcomes.

 

Advantages of parking behind
  • The number of driveway crossovers with the public street to be minimised. This allows for a continuous and accessible footpath which is safer to walk along. 
  • Streetscape berms to be retained to create a highly landscaped and attractive street edge which encourages walking and cycling to local destinations.
  • Car free front yards and good passive surveillance, creating good conditions for safe and walkable neighbourhoods. 
  • A direct relationship between the front of the terraced house and the street, or corner.
  • An additional room or minor unit above a rear garage can add value to a house.
  • Unit-titling, which offers ownership over the house and private​ back yard, is available.

 

Disadvantages of parking behind
  • ​​Access from rear lanes can be more expensive to build and use land less efficiently.
  • Rear parking is less well surveyed which increases safety and security issues.
  • Activity along the street front is undermined.
  • ​​Sunlight into private open spaces can be blocked if the garage is located in the rear yard and is too close to the house.

Better Design Practice

Arrange the house and outdoor private open space to allow for the parking space / car port / garage whilst maintaining sunlight access to and sufficient space for the private open space.
 
Position garages:
  • On the southern side of the lot in order to allow maximum sun to the garden
  • Where they might provide wind shelter in an exposed site
  • Where they can contribute privacy for both the rear yard and the neighbours.

  • Prioritise quality streetscape design of the rear lane / courtyard. 
  • Consider possibility for shared / communal rear courtyards that serve as parking areas and open space. 
  • Orientate dual aspect houses so that they overlook the street to the front and the rear lane or courtyard at the back.
  • Dwellings located above the garage and fronting a rear lane should be well designed to offer good living opportunities, including areas of greater privacy and good access to sunlight. 
  • Avoid locating cars under the building (undercroft parking) where residents cannot see the cars or what is happening in the parking area. 
  • Ensure terraces with integral garages are wide enough to accommodate a habitable room on the ground level.
  • Blank ground floors or rows of garage doors with no habitable rooms that overlook the rear lane can encourage crime and create a poor pedestrian environment. 
  • Create access and connections between any rear lane and the primary street. 
  • Locate visitor car parking to the front of properties (either on plot or on street) to encourage active and safe streets.

Locate visitor car parking to the front of properties (either on plot or on street) to encourage active and safe streets.

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