How Does the Built Environment Affect Mechanical Parking Space Planning: A Case Study in Xi’an City

Abstract

Mechanical parking lots and spaces are known as the “energy saver” of urban space because of their small footprint, high efficiency, and environmental protection. However, the location and number of mechanical parking lots and space planning have become an important part of effectively exerting the function of mechanical parking lots. In order to explore the planning problem of mechanical parking lots, this study used the gradient boosting decision tree–Shapley additive explanations (GBDT-SHAPs) to measure the non-linear impact of the urban built environment on the mechanical parking spaces ratio and extract the optimal threshold of key variables. The results show that land use mix and distance to Bell Tower (CBD) are two key variables affecting mechanical parking space planning, and both have a non-linear relationship with the built environment. The threshold values are 0.83 and 7 km. The results will provide urban and transport planners with strategies for planning mechanical parking lots and spaces.