The mass production of cars has particularly added stress to businesses in downtown locations where space is already limited. The CVS Pharmacy shown in the photograph above has addressed customers' parking concerns by building an attached parking garage with room for about 25 to 30 cars. For customers who want to avoid parking entirely, a drive-thru (another consequence of the car) has been installed so that customers can pick up their prescriptions without going inside the store. The pharmacy is also unique in that it has been built underneath an apartment and condominium complex. Thus, apartment residents can rely on the pharmacy for its convenience and can walk to its storefront, leaving their cars in the separate, gated apartment parking deck.
The Edgewood Retail District, featured here, provides numerous services for local residents in a very compact location. In order to accommodate its high traffic volume, however, the retail district has had to install a variety of parking options for customers. Each major store within the district has its own surface level lot which provides an ultimate level of convenience for shoppers lucky enough to find an open space. All other vehicles are directed to overflow parking in both above and below ground parking decks. Elevators, staircases, and special signs have been installed in these decks to efficiently direct customers toward the store of their choice. For other smaller shops within the district, on-street parallel parking spaces are available in front of the shop windows. Even with the plethora of options, parking remains a serious, frustrating issue for customers at peak shopping times.
Taxi cab stands, like this one beside the Hilton Hotel on Courtland Avenue, are a product of the spatial logic of the car. Taxis are unique in that they give their customers the option of traveling through city centers and metropolitan areas by car without the hassle of navigating and parking in the often hectic city landscape. In order to provide this service, however, taxi drivers typically must wait for long periods of time outside of hotels and airports until they have a customer. Consequently, special spaces have been designated for cabs to park in so that they do not disrupt the flow of city traffic. The cab stand featured in this photo occupies the entire far left lane of the road, but still allows cars in the right lanes to pass by easily. Many cities have been forced to limit the number of operating taxi cabs within a certain area to prevent them from overwhelming already highly congested traffic areas.
The mass production of cars has particularly added stress to businesses in downtown locations where space is already limited. The CVS Pharmacy shown in the photograph above has addressed customers' parking concerns by building an attached parking garage with room for about 25 to 30 cars. For customers who want to avoid parking entirely, a drive-thru (another consequence of the car) has been installed so that customers can pick up their prescriptions without going inside the store. The pharmacy is also unique in that it has been built underneath an apartment and condominium complex. Thus, apartment residents can rely on the pharmacy for its convenience and can walk to its storefront, leaving their cars in the separate, gated apartment parking deck.
The Edgewood Retail District, featured here, provides numerous services for local residents in a very compact location. In order to accommodate its high traffic volume, however, the retail district has had to install a variety of parking options for customers. Each major store within the district has its own surface level lot which provides an ultimate level of convenience for shoppers lucky enough to find an open space. All other vehicles are directed to overflow parking in both above and below ground parking decks. Elevators, staircases, and special signs have been installed in these decks to efficiently direct customers toward the store of their choice. For other smaller shops within the district, on-street parallel parking spaces are available in front of the shop windows. Even with the plethora of options, parking remains a serious, frustrating issue for customers at peak shopping times.
Taxi cab stands, like this one beside the Hilton Hotel on Courtland Avenue, are a product of the spatial logic of the car. Taxis are unique in that they give their customers the option of traveling through city centers and metropolitan areas by car without the hassle of navigating and parking in the often hectic city landscape. In order to provide this service, however, taxi drivers typically must wait for long periods of time outside of hotels and airports until they have a customer. Consequently, special spaces have been designated for cabs to park in so that they do not disrupt the flow of city traffic. The cab stand featured in this photo occupies the entire far left lane of the road, but still allows cars in the right lanes to pass by easily. Many cities have been forced to limit the number of operating taxi cabs within a certain area to prevent them from overwhelming already highly congested traffic areas.
Good Megan. I like the taxi stand example especially--and the drive-through pharmacy. You might flesh out the spatial specificity of the automobile a bit more.
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