Europeans Want City Parking Turned into Green Spaces, Says Lynk & Co

Mobility provider Lynk & Co is calling for city mobility to be “reimagined” following a survey suggesting most Europeans want few vehicles and more open spaces in their cities.

An international survey by Ipsos claims that the common wish among Europeans is to use vehicles more efficiently and free up urban space for more greenery. With the average car in use only 4% of the time, Lynk & Co is challenging the industry to take a new approach to disruptive mobility.

It points to Stockholm which is covered by 550,000 square meters of permanent parking space. That is more than 77 football fields. The company says it wants to disrupt the car industry and challenge the idea that cars are possessions rather than a shared mode of transportation. With fewer cars, cities could be focused more on humans needs and desires with greener, more vibrant and inspiring urban environments.

The survey involved more than 8,000 respondents in eight European capitals including London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Brussels. In Rome, 70% of all respondents answered that traffic is a huge hassle, while in Stockholm 44% recognize how beautiful their city is while traveling in it. In Madrid, 26% consider their daily commute the peak of their day and Londoners are the most likely to have a nice and polite experience with their fellow commuters wit 19% agreeing.

The attitude towards car-sharing is similar throughout the eight markets but varies when it comes to the respondents’ age. Among respondents aged 25-34 years, 66% feel positively towards car sharing. In contrast, only 35% of respondents aged 55-65 years felt the same.

The most common wish, expressed by 57% across the eight cities, is to replace parking spaces with more greenery, followed by 32% citing places to rest while 28% want wider sidewalks.

Conversely, Brussels, one of the least green cities in this survey, is the least keen to introduce more greenery into their city. Londoners are the most art-hungry citizens and are most likely to vote for more public art, street art,and graffiti to replace parking. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the people of Amsterdam want wider bicycle lanes.

Alain Visser, CEO at Lynk & Co, said: “With cars parked 96% of the time, our cities have a lot of unused potential. I feel motivated by the results of the survey and I’m excited that the people of Europe agree with our mission of more accessible, open and green cities. It’s time to reclaim our human space.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_