ACROS Green Terrace in Fukuoka, Japan.

Look at cities like Hong King, Singapore and Tokyo on google maps and you will be surprised by how few parking lots you see. These cities have far fewer cars per capita than the United States because of their efficient public transportation systems. They have developed their public transport out of necessity. Space, location and population limitations have forced these cities to heavily invest in transportation because there are no other options.

This forced choice between building retail stores, housing and parks or to use that space for parking lots has had a positive ripple effect on these cities.

Contrast that with American cities where its estimated that half of the urbanized land in the United States is covered in parking lots and there is almost no investment in public transportation.

There are many reasons for the lack of public transport investment in America but the biggest factor is the absence of limitations. We have no urgency in developing efficient and affordable public transportation because we have alternatives. There is nothing stopping the urban sprawl in America and we will continue to build more suburban housing and parking lots that destroy our cities unless limitations are created.

These concepts of city limitations and urban sprawl can be applied to any design project. Next time you’re working on a design project give yourself limitations and you will see beauty and efficiency develop naturally. Don’t allow “parking lots” to take up space in your projects.

Limitations naturally create beauty and the absence of limitations naturally creates excess in design.