Both the State Government and the City of Sydney agree that light rail from Circular Quay to the city’s east along George Street will be a great thing for Sydney. The vision is for an integrated transport network able to move large groups of commuters quickly and effectively around the CBD and out to major sporting and educational precincts. The good news is that it is going to happen. We blogged about the announcement on Wayfinding Forum in December.

Many see the project as an opportunity to create an environment along George Street similar to that of Times Square in New York or Paris’ Champs-Élysées, turning the thoroughfare into "one of the world's great plazas". The City and the NSW Government are aiming to finalise a development agreement by August, but the sticking point may come when deciding how much of George Street will be reserved for pedestrians and light rail exclusively.

The City of Sydney is currently exhibiting their Draft George Street Concept Design at Customs House, which involves “pedestrianising” a much larger section of the city’s spine than the 40% initially planned by the NSW Government.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore says “by slightly extending the pedestrian area to the north and south, we believe there are significant additional benefits for pedestrians and traffic management''. Renowned Danish urban designer Jan Gehl, weighed in to the debate as the City’s key consultant on the project saying he would have wanted the street's pedestrian zone ''to be as long as possible''.

However, desire and reality may be two vastly different things with NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian down-playing the suggestion, stating that the government intends to deliver the project as it was announced last year.

Whatever the result of no doubt spirited negotiations, this type of urban development is what the Sydney CBD is crying out for, and we cannot wait for the start of construction in 2015.

More on the NSW Government’s blue print for public transport expansion can be read here.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has called for free parking for electric vehicles in an attempt to encourage UK drivers to switch to the more environmentally friendly mode of travel.

An article published by the Guardian this week, explains that the concept is similar to the existing blue badge scheme for disabled drivers. But the IPPR goes further than just advocating free parking. Other incentives such as reduced (or eliminated) road and bridge tolls, permission to drive in bus lanes and parking concessions in restricted zones will also be tabled in a report to be released later this month.

However it is this last point that has raised concerns with UK motoring lobby group, the AA. Their position is that allowing parking in restricted zones could in fact increase congestion and therefore emissions from other vehicles. The group did concede that cheaper parking charges would be a good idea (we are not sure if building owners’ or car park operators’ opinions were canvassed).

Similar schemes are being trialled around the world with China set to incentivise electric car ownership. Chinese newspaper, The Economic Observer reported this week that Beijing will introduce a series of new policies designed to accelerate uptake of electric cars including a 120,000 yuan subsidy and a way around the dreaded “licence plate lottery”.

It seems that the momentum for electric car sales will continue, yet as we have commented in number of previous posts on Wayfinding Forum, the biggest challenge for a successful future will be addressing the lack of charging stations, whether in Beijing, Melbourne or Chicago.

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is not a new concept in urban planning.

DNAinfo.com has published a story about the latest mixed development taking advantage of local public transport hubs in Chicago. The Wicker Park building contains 99 residential units but only 15 car spaces, supposedly reserved for visitors only. Whilst ratios vary around the world, a requirement of 2 car spaces per dwelling is not uncommon.

However the trend towards residential and commercial development with minimal parking is also becoming more common. Curbed Chicago lists another six examples in that city.

So, whilst TODs would appear to be helping the fight against congestion and pollution in major cities, it is also becoming clear that if executed poorly, these developments can fail spectacularly.

Australia’s Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) lauds the benefits of TODs but warns that “coordinated planning and delivery arrangements are essential to ensure transport not only responds to past and present use patterns but is an active contributor to the shaping of the urban form.”

An example of what Kaid Benfield has called an ‘epic fail’ of urban design can be seen in his article written for The Atlantic Cities about a TOD near Miami. The author says, “there’s lots of development around, just not near the station, unless you consider parking lots and garages to be development.” He continues to emphasise his point by stating, “The station is oriented to cars, not people.” If you need another example of a TOD’s failure to orient people with the transit they require, take a look at this article written about a development in St Louis.

But how do we ensure the goals of TODs are met? TTF tells us the answer lies in a working partnership between the government and the private sector. We can only agree and hope that such cooperation becomes reality.

Ever tried to squeeze into an impossible parking spot? We all have, but with the latest technology coming out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) the impossible is becoming possible.

A BBC Business News report published this week has revealed the media lab at MIT has designed a ‘folding car’ which is being developed by a Spanish company for commercial use. The design allows for the vehicle´s length to be shrunk to a size approximately the width of a conventional car. In practical terms it will mean three folding cars will fit into a parking space designed for just one.

It´s being claimed that the highly maneuverable and sleek design will reduce traffic congestion, help cities to function better and triple car parking capacity in high-density areas. Did I mention it is an electric car, which is obviously a great result for the environment!

The concept is also being hailed as a potential success story for the burgeoning car-share industry, allowing more shared cars to be available at convenient locations, meaning greater access for customers which (it is hoped) may lead to reduced car ownership.

The question remains; are consumers ready for the technology, or more specifically a dramatic change in mindset?

It has been reported by “The West Australian” this week, that the City of Perth has unanimously approved in-principle funding for an innovative Car Park Guidance System (CPGS) at the Perth Convention Centre.

A tender for the CPGS was tabled at a meeting of Perth’s Parking Committee in October 2012, which proposes to alleviate the frustration of motorists while improving the efficiency of one of Perth's busiest car parks.

The report  found that “although it is a highly successful car park, due to its size, it is often difficult for patrons to find the available bays. Patrons spend a lengthy amount of time looking for vacant bays resulting in unsatisfactory customer service levels, complaints and negative environmental impacts resulting from car circulation.”

The report noted there was a strong financial case for implementing the system given the car park, built in 2004, far exceeded profitability projections, reaping more than $4 million last financial year.

The guidance system which involves coloured lights above each bay and sensors to detect whether the bay is occupied, as well as directional markers, will come with an estimated price tag of $750,000.

Traffic chaos at Kala Nagar Junction, Mumbai