Parking Demand Calculator
How many parking spaces a development generates under a set of rates, and how much land, area and money those spaces consume — which is why parking is often the largest single cost in a project.
Demand is each land use times its parking rate: spaces per dwelling, spaces per 100 m² of retail or office.
How the parking demand calculator works
Demand is each land use times its parking rate: spaces per dwelling, spaces per 100 m² of retail or office. The rates come from the planning scheme or the ITE manual and are inputs here.
The cost of compliance is the number that surprises: at 30 m² per space including aisles, 200 spaces is 6,000 m² — more than half a hectare, or several storeys of structure.
Formula: spaces = Σ (units × rate); area = spaces × 30 m²
Worked examples
| Inputs | Parking spaces required | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A mixed-use block | 319 | about 280 spaces, 2.5 storeys |
| Reduced rates near transit | 140 | less than half |
| No sharing | 319 | every space provided separately |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How many parking spaces does a development need?
Whatever the scheme requires — one to two per dwelling and two to four per 100 m² of retail are common. Many cities are now removing minimums entirely.
How much space does a car park take?
About 30 m² per space including aisles and ramps. A 200-space basement is a 6,000 m² excavation.
What does a parking space cost?
Thirty to sixty thousand for structured or basement parking; a few thousand at grade. Basement parking is often the most expensive part of a building.
What is shared parking?
Uses that peak at different times — office by day, restaurants by night — can share spaces. Ten to thirty per cent reductions are typical.
Why are parking minimums controversial?
Because they add tens of thousands to every dwelling, consume land that could be housing, and subsidise driving. The cost-per-dwelling row shows why.
Where these figures come from
- UN-Habitat — Urban Indicators Guidelines — density, green space and public space benchmarks
- World Health Organization — Urban green spaces — the 9 m² per person minimum
- ITE — Parking Generation Manual — parking demand rates by land use
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — Regional population — Australia's national statistics agency
Last checked: September 2026. Default per-capita rates are mid-range figures from national statistical agencies and utility reports; every one is an input you should replace with the local figure.