Parking lot - Chushajo (English name) parking space

Japanese: 駐車場 - ちゅうしゃじょう（英語表記）parking space

A specific place set aside for parking automobiles. Here, parking means that people get out of the automobile and leave it there for a certain period of time, and is distinct from a short stop for getting in and out of the automobile or loading and unloading luggage.

In Japan, the number of cars, especially passenger cars, has increased dramatically as a result of rapid motorization. While this has increased convenience, it has also caused various problems, such as urban traffic congestion, an increase in traffic accidents, and pollution. The problem of open-air parking is one of these problems, and there has been a demand for the development of parking lots as urban facilities in addition to individual parking lots. In response to this, the Parking Lot Law was enacted in 1957, and various related laws, ordinances, and guidelines have been developed. As a result, the number of parking lots has increased rapidly, but due to issues such as land acquisition, construction costs, and operation and management costs, they are not necessarily fully developed, and illegal parking, which reflects the low morals of drivers, continues to occur. There is a strong need to consider stricter parking lot installation standards that correspond to various conditions such as central business districts, commercial and leisure districts, and residential districts, and to consider measures to make these standards possible, as well as to establish clear cost-sharing principles.

[Takada Mitsuo]

Parking lot type

Parking lots can be broadly divided into on-street parking lots that use the road surface and off-street parking lots that do not. When a city plan for a parking lot development district is established based on the Parking Lot Law, on-street parking lots are established by local governments in accordance with the on-street parking lot installation plan established by the prefecture or city, town, or village, after first consulting the prefectural public safety commission. Parking meters can be installed and parking fees can be collected. Off-street parking lots can be divided into flat parking lots that use the ground surface and multi-story parking lots that utilize the land in a multi-story manner. Multi-story parking lots include self-propelled parking lots, where cars are driven to the parking space by car, mechanical parking lots, where cars are guided to the parking space by a machine, and combined parking lots that partially use machines such as car elevators and turntables. There are various types of mechanical parking lots, but the main ones are as follows. (1) Vertical circulation system Also called the merry-go-round system, this system involves hanging cages (baskets) for cars on chains attached to gears attached to the top and bottom of a long, thin steel tower, and circulating the cars around the cage. There are free-standing parking towers and those that are built into a building. The location where cars enter is not limited to the lower part, and there are types such as a middle entry type, where part or all of the parking lot is underground, and an upper entry type. (2) Multi-layer circulation system A system in which many pallets (platforms) on which cars are placed are connected, and the pallets are sent to the upper or lower level at both ends, and circulated through several levels. There are various types depending on the entry method, the direction of the pallets, and the method of movement between levels. (3) Horizontal circulation system A system in which many pallets are circulated only horizontally. It can also be multi-layered by combining lifts, etc. (4) Elevator system A system that combines an automobile elevator and a parking space, and is divided into vertical, horizontal, and rotating types depending on the parking space arrangement. (5) Elevator-slide system Similar to the elevator system, but the elevator cage moves not only vertically but also horizontally, and a large number of cars can be accommodated on the same floor. (6) Plane reciprocating system A system in which pallets reciprocate on a plane to accommodate cars. There are two types: a transport type, where pallets go back and forth between the entrance and the parking space, and a storage type, where cars are also parked on the pallets. They are often installed inside buildings in combination with car elevators. (7) Two-tier system: A system in which pallets are stacked on top of each other and parked in two tiers. In addition to the simple lifting type, there are also ones with a pit and lifting/side-loading types that allow the lower tier pallet to move left and right to make it easier for cars to get in and out.

In addition, when we look at the relationship between multi-storey parking lots and buildings, including not only the mechanical types mentioned above but also self-propelled and combined types, we can see that various combinations have been attempted with the aim of making effective use of space, such as rooftop parking lots, underground parking lots, etc. In addition, there are also self-propelled multi-storey parking lots connected to shopping centers, etc., which are designed to allow direct access to the building from the floors where the parking spaces are located.

[Takada Mitsuo]

Main types of parking lots (mechanical)
©Shogakukan ">

Main types of parking lots (mechanical)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

自動車を駐車させるために設けられた特定の場所。ここで駐車とは、自動車から人が降り、一定時間以上その場所に置いておくことを意味し、乗り降りや荷物の積み下ろしのための短時間の停車とは区別する。

　日本では、急激なモータリゼーションの結果として、自動車、とりわけ乗用車の保有台数が大きく伸び、一方では利便性を高めながらも、他方では都市交通の渋滞、交通事故の増加、公害問題の発生などさまざまな問題を引き起こしている。いわゆる青空駐車の問題もその一つで、個別の駐車場とともに都市施設としての駐車場の整備が要望されてきた。これに対応するため1957年（昭和32）には駐車場法が制定されたほか、関連する各種の法律、条例、指導要綱などが整備されてきている。この結果、駐車場の設置件数は急増してきてはいるが、用地、建設費および運営管理費などの問題から、かならずしも十分な整備は行われず、運転者のモラルの低さを反映した不法駐車は後を絶たない。中心業務地区や商業・レジャー地区、住宅地区など各種の条件に対応した、より厳格な駐車場設置基準とその実現を可能ならしめる方策の検討、さらに、明快な費用負担原則の確立などが強く望まれる。

［髙田光雄］

駐車場の種類

駐車場は、道路の路面を使用する路上駐車場と、それ以外の路外駐車場とに大別できる。路上駐車場は、駐車場法に基づいて駐車場整備地区に関する都市計画が定められた場合、都道府県または市町村の定める路上駐車場設置計画に従って、あらかじめ都道府県公安委員会の意見をきいたうえで、地方公共団体により設置される。パーキングメーターを設備し、駐車料金を徴収することができる。路外駐車場は、地表面を使う平面駐車場と、土地の立体利用を図った立体駐車場とに分けられる。立体駐車場は、自動車を運転して駐車スペースまで達する自走式、機械を用いて駐車スペースまで導き入れ保管する機械式、自動車用エレベーターや方向転換装置（ターンテーブル）などの機械を部分的に用いた併用式が存在する。機械式駐車場にはさまざまなものがあるが、そのおもなものは次のとおりである。（1）垂直循環方式　メリーゴーラウンド方式ともよばれ、細長い鉄塔の上下部に取り付けられた歯車に掛けられたチェーンに車をのせるケージ（籠(かご)）を吊(つ)り下げ循環移動させる方式。自立式のパーキングタワーと、建物の一部に組み込むものとがある。車を乗り入れる位置は下部とは限らず、一部または全部を地下駐車場とした中間部乗入れ式、上部乗入れ式などがある。（2）多層循環方式　車をのせるパレット（台）を多数連結し、両端でパレットを上段または下段に送りながら何層にもわたって循環移動させる方式。乗り入れ方式、パレットの方向、層間移動の方法などによってさまざまな種類がある。（3）水平循環方式　多数のパレットを水平方向のみに循環移動させる方式。リフトなどを組み合わせて多層化することもできる。（4）エレベーター方式　自動車用エレベーターと駐車室とを組み合わせた方式で、駐車室のとり方によって縦式、横式、旋回式などに分けられる。（5）エレベーター・スライド方式　エレベーター方式と類似するが、エレベーターケージが垂直方向のみでなく水平方向にも移動し、同一階に多数の車を収容できる方式。（6）平面往復方式　平面的にパレットが往復し、車を収容する方式。出入口と駐車室の間をパレットが往復する運搬式と、駐車もパレット上で行う格納式とがある。自動車用エレベーターと組み合わせて建物内に設備することが多い。（7）二段方式　パレットを上下二段に重ね駐車させる方式。単純な昇降式のほか、ピットを設けたものや、下段のパレットを左右に移動できるようにして車の出し入れを容易にした昇降・横行式などがある。

　なお、以上のような機械式に限らず、自走式、併用式をも含めて、立体駐車場と建物との関連に着目すると、屋上駐車場、地下駐車場などのように空間の有効利用を目的としたさまざまな組合せが試みられているのがわかる。また、ショッピングセンターなどに連結された自走式立体駐車場のように、駐車スペースのある階から直接建物に接近できるようくふうされたものもある。

［髙田光雄］

駐車場のおもな種類（機械式）

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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