Controlling urban car parking – an exemplar for public management?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the management of urban on street car parking as an example of the dilemmas of understanding and improving the performance of public management.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual paper that assesses empirical practice against different theoretical frameworks and suggests new management and policy directions.

Findings

The management of regulatory services such as urban on street car parking are little examined in the literature of public management, though the economic literature does review some aspects of parking behaviour. This paper analyses car parking as an exemplar site for empirical confirmation of the difficulties of reconciling multiple stakeholder interests when addressing a “wicked problem”. The paper further argues that public management theory can be developed from examination of such routine minutiae of day‐to‐day life.

Originality/value

The paper provides a fresh theoretical perspective on an every day social activity and suggests that such analysis can aid theory building for public management.

Citation

Kerley, R. (2007), "Controlling urban car parking – an exemplar for public management?", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 519-530. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513550710818395