Parking Spaces

The Inner has changed immensely over the past twenty years. Harborplace was added in 1980 and was followed by the Pier 6 Concert Pavilion and the Hyatt Hotel in 1981 and then Camden Yards opened in 1992. The area has slowly become more successful and has brought more revenue into Baltimore City. The harbor is an ideal location within the city and could not exist in every city. It is a genius solution to an otherwise defunct, dead area of the city. The reinvention of the space in the harbor was the beginning of the the frequent tourism. Once it became successful then measures had to be taken to deal with the mass amounts of people it would be bringing into the city annually. In order to cater to the tourists parking had to be added within a reasonable distance of the the attractions. The comfortable walking distance for most people before they reach their destination is a half mile. So then in order to make guest happy parking must be located near any place that is not immediately outside of the harbor. While this is convenient for those visiting it is not the best design solution. Parking lots and structures change the aesthetic of an area. As a designer you are always taught to look for a better more appropriate solution for the area you are planning. To just give the people what they want and provide ample parking is the easy way out. As a designer you should give the people what they never thought they wanted and then have them love it. As a designer that is the most success anyone could have. Parking sucks the life out of an area because then no people interact there. They just park their cars there and then head to their destination. An area where all a person can do is park their vehicle has to be the biggest waste of space ever invented. Parking lots and structures are missed opportunities. They are the spaces that beg for life.