The impact of parking lots on sustainable mobility in the mzab valley (Algerian sahara), preliminary results of field observations

Abstract

Sustainable mobility reduces the consumption of space and resources, facili-tates access, promotes economic dynamism, and creates a sustainable environment. This paper investigated the possibility of switching to a sustainable mobility system through parking management in the Mzab Valley and the city of Ghardaia, one of Algeria's classi-fied heritage sites. Using the quantitative descriptive approach and the road network analysis method, the current situation of parking lots shows a high diversity and characteriza-tion of parking lots. The most important factors affecting parking lots were also identified, such as population density, vehicle ownership, and the road network. The study shows me-dium connectivity of the road network and traffic problems with a road saturation coefficient of almost 60%, where access to parking lots increases from 5 minutes to 10 minutes when driving to the city centre. The city centre has a high concentration of parking lots (81%). Furthermore, parking frequency is 5% higher in the morning compared to the evening, with an overall capacity of 12,495 parked cars and a deficit of 10,500 parking spaces. Linking the study to the social and policy aspects, the results indicate that trips for non-compulsory reasons dominate over mandatory trips for workers, where 50% of the population owns a private car and 10% use public transport. Based on the SWOT method, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to be adjusted were identified. This re-search defines short- and medium-term solutions as a global vision for improving sustain-able mobility in the Mazabite context or a similar region.