AZE.US
Azerbaijan has approved mandatory minimum parking requirements for apartment buildings, offices, restaurants, hospitals, schools, shopping facilities and other developments.
The new rules were adopted by the Board of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture.
For drivers, the decision means developers will have to include a minimum number of parking spaces when planning residential and commercial projects. It does not mean, however, that every driver will immediately receive a parking spot or that additional spaces will automatically appear beside existing buildings.
One Parking Space Per Apartment
The most significant requirement applies to apartment buildings.
Developers must provide at least one parking space for every apartment. For apartments measuring 180 square meters or more, the requirement rises to 1.3 spaces per unit.
The figure will be calculated across the entire residential development. A building containing 100 apartments larger than 180 square meters, for example, would need at least 130 parking spaces.
Detached houses must have at least one parking space per property.
The regulation is intended to reduce situations in which large residential complexes are built with limited parking, leaving residents to park on sidewalks, in courtyards or along surrounding streets.
Offices, Restaurants and Shops Also Covered
The requirements extend well beyond residential developments.
Office buildings, banks, insurance companies and legal organizations must provide one parking space for every 50 square meters of total floor area.
Restaurants must have one space per 50 square meters, while cafes and tea houses must provide one space for every 75 square meters.
Wedding venues and ceremonial halls face a stricter requirement of one parking space per 30 square meters. A venue covering 900 square meters would therefore need at least 30 spaces.
Markets and wholesale centers must provide three spaces per 100 square meters. Cinemas, theaters, concert halls and conference venues must have one parking space for every 10 seats.
Separate requirements were also established for hospitals, hotels, stadiums, gyms, swimming pools, water parks, beaches, public parks, transport terminals and cemeteries.
Existing Neighborhoods Will Not Change Overnight
The new decision establishes planning standards for construction projects. It is not a nationwide program to immediately expand parking in already developed neighborhoods.
The regulation does not state that developers or local authorities must now assign one parking space to every resident of an existing apartment building.
It also does not change street-parking fees or the operation of Azerbaijan’s paid parking system.
The practical impact is expected to be strongest for new developments and projects going through planning and construction approval. Questions remain over how the rules will apply to projects already under construction, buildings undergoing reconstruction and developments approved before the decision was adopted.
Parking May Still Be Sold Separately
A mandatory parking requirement does not necessarily mean that residents or visitors will be able to use the spaces free of charge.
Developers may sell parking spaces separately from apartments or include their cost in property prices. Commercial buildings may also continue to charge visitors for parking.
Underground and multistory parking facilities are expensive to build, meaning some of the additional construction costs could eventually be reflected in apartment prices, rents or commercial property costs.
What Drivers Can Expect
The effect will not be immediate. Additional parking will appear gradually as new residential and commercial projects are completed.
If the rules are properly enforced, drivers should eventually find more parking near new apartment buildings, offices, restaurants, hospitals and entertainment venues. Fewer cars may also be left on sidewalks and surrounding roads.
The outcome will depend heavily on enforcement. Parking areas included in approved plans must actually be built and should not later be converted into shops, storage facilities or other commercial premises.
The decision must be submitted to the Ministry of Justice within three days for inclusion in Azerbaijan’s State Register of Legal Acts.
AZE.US