This summer, Sarah Gates ’16 wandered the City of Philadelphia in search of parking spots. But unlike most city residents, she wasn't looking for a place to put her car.
Rather, as an intern for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Sarah was counting each spot in Center City garages and lots as part of a survey of the city’s parking supply.
“The goal of the survey is to get an idea of occupancy in Center City; to help find out what areas have enough parking, what areas need more, and what areas may have too many. I started out with a data set of all the parking lots and garages in Philadelphia. Armed with that information I had to figure out how to conduct site surveys for each one,” Sarah says.
City planners and developers use the data to make decisions about space allocation for new construction projects. Sarah explains, “The surveys will also document sites where a parking facility underwent new development in the past five years. These sites reveal positive patterns of development, especially when a building is replacing a surface parking lot.”
For Sarah, an environmental studies major, the survey is giving her access to a rich set of data that she may be mining for future research. “I want to look at the rates that commuters pay for parking in the City. Some of Philadelphia’s rates are as low as $7.50 per day. The cheap rates keep people driving into the City, even though the environment would be better served if they rode on the regional rail lines or on SEPTA.”
Of course, the work yielded some unexpected benefits—like honing her people skills when pitching her project to parking operators: “Some are wonderful and go out of their way to help,” she says. “Others are suspicious and gaining access can take a bit of coaxing.”
Plus, she had the opportunity to explore Philadelphia. “I was surveying areas under the Ben Franklin Bridge and it is a massive structure,” she says. “One minute it is so noisy I can’t think and the next it is almost silent. And, one week I had to survey in the Penn’s Landing area. I normally park and walk to an event, but this was a longer, more thoughtful visit, and I enjoyed watching how the area is used by residents. It is quite beautiful. “
Back when Sarah was first looking for a summer internship, she wanted to put some newly acquired skills to work. “I knew I wanted to use geographic information system (GIS) software,” she explains. But halfway through her interview, she knew she was onto something bigger. “I felt confident that I would be able to see for myself what it might be like to work as a city planner. I am glad I said yes, because this experience has shown me the different roles that people play. Pursuing a career in city planning is definitely a possibility now. I can see myself really enjoying a job in this work environment.”
Continuing with the parking theme, Sarah is among the students organizing Bryn Mawr's participation in PARK(ing) Day Philadelphia as part of the Earth at the Brink series of events.