Parking Requirements for Outpatient
Cancer Care Centers
A parking demand study of Study Purpose THE .#)
DESIGNATED CANCER CENTERS
The development of cancer care centers ARE AFlLIATED WITH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL
outpatient cancer centers continues in response to our aging popu- centers, while others are freestanding
lation and consequent increased demands centers that engage only in cancer re-
was conducted to determine for health care. One particular challenge for search. Their missions typically include
planners is to properly determine the num- cancer research, clinical programs,
the peak period range, mean, ber of parking spaces needed without any training for researchers and caregivers,
preexisting or published data regarding park- and public education and outreach.
median, and 85th percentile ing requirements for outpatient cancer care s #OMMUNITY
BASED OUTPATIENT CANCER
centers. In response to this challenge, Walker centers, which tend to be smaller,
values of parked cars per 1,000 Parking Consultants conducted a study doc- community-based treatment centers
umenting the parking requirements of this that often range from 5,000 to 50,000
gross square feet (GSF) of land use type. A major component of this ft.2 and in some cases are larger. All
study includes new primary research. care is provided on an outpatient basis.
building space. Providing 3.5 This study gathers data from various s #ANCER HOSPITALS WHICH TEND TO BE
cancer centers, calculates parking demand larger, more comprehensive treat-
or 4.5 spaces per 1,000 GSF for ratios per 1,000 gross square feet (GSF), ment centers that attract patients
and provides a database that can be used from several hundred miles and focus
medium/large (ⱖ15,000 GSF) or for project planning purposes. on clinical treatment on both an
The following are the objectives of this inpatient and outpatient basis. These
small (⬍15,000 GSF) outpatient research project: facilities tend to be about 250,000
s 4O IDENTIFY AND REPORT ON OUTPATIENT ft.2. Typical services include surgery,
cancer centers, respectively, cancer center peak hour parking radiation therapy, chemotherapy,
demand ratios; and supportive therapies including
is an 85th percentile s 4O CREATE A DATABASE OF OUTPATIENT pain management, nutrition therapy,
cancer center peak hour parking de- naturopathic medicine, oncology
recommendation consistent mand ratios that employ the number rehabilitation, mind-body medicine,
of parking spaces needed per 1,000 and spiritual support.
with recognized and published GSF, the variable most commonly
referenced by municipal codes; and The application of this study’s results
industry standards. s 4O SUMMARIZE lNDINGS BY MEAN should be limited to outpatient cancer
median, and 85th percentile values. care centers and should not be used for
.#)
DESIGNATED CANCER CENTERS OR CANCER
Meeting these objectives provides in- hospitals.
formation useful to planners who project
outpatient cancer center parking demand. Methodology
One limitation of this study is that it This study is important to health care
focuses on outpatient cancer care center planners and developers because prior
parking demand and to this study, there were no published
BY JOHN W. DORSETT, AICP, CPP not parking demand data regarding parking requirements for
for other types of can- outpatient cancer centers. To complete
cer care centers. Cancer care centers can be our primary research, we performed the
CLASSIlED INTO THE FOLLOWING THREE CATEGORIES following steps:
s .ATIONAL #ANCER )NSTITUTE .#) nDES- s )DENTIlED STANDALONE OUTPATIENT
ignated cancer centers are institutions cancer centers located throughout
that are dedicated to research into the United States.
more effective approaches to prevent, s 2ESEARCHED THE FOLLOWING VARIABLES
diagnose, and treat cancer. Most of for each property:
20 ITE JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2013
– Freestanding location dedicated Table 1. Number of outpatient
exclusively to oncology care; cancer centers by size.
– City, state, and ZIP code;
– Building GSF; and n '3&
– Parking space supply.
'3&
s #ALCULATED THE NUMBER OF SPACES
provided per 1,000 GSF.
s #OUNTED THE NUMBER OF PARKED 0REVIOUS STUDIES BY 7ALKER INDICATE THAT
VEHICLES DURING THE PEAK TIME OF A PARKING DEMAND AT MEDICAL CENTERS PEAKS
weekday. ON A WEEKDAY DURING THE LATE MORNING
s $ETERMINED THE NUMBER OF SPACES HOURS UP TO THE LUNCH HOUR AND CARRIES ON
PER '3& BASED ON THE OCCU- UNTIL MID
AFTERNOON 4HIS WAS CONlRMED
PIED BUILDING '3& AND THE NUMBERS THROUGH A PARKING ACCUMULATION STUDY PER-
OF VEHICLES COUNTED AT THE PEAK AC- FORMED AT 3T 6INCENT #ENTER FOR #ANCER
CUMULATION OR OCCUPANCY #ARE )NDIANAPOLIS ). 53! ON 3EPTEM-
s 3UMMARIZED BY SPACES PER BER $URING THIS STUDY THE NUM-
'3& OF OCCUPIED BUILDING SPACE THE BERS OF PARKED CARS WERE COUNTED AT
MEAN MEDIAN AND TH PERCENTILE AND AM AND AND PM
FOR THE FOLLOWING WITH LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN THE FOUR COUNTS
– Parking space supply; and
n /BSERVED PEAK PERIOD PARKING Data Collection Results
occupancy. Profile of Cancer Centers
s $EVELOPED RECOMMENDATIONS REGARD- Included in This Study
ING THE NUMBER OF SPACES TO BE PRO- &IFTY
THREE FREESTANDING OUTPATIENT CANCER Figure 1. Data plot and statistical summary.
VIDED BY OUTPATIENT CANCER CARE CENTERS CENTERS WERE INCLUDED WITHIN THIS STUDY
4HESE CENTERS RANGE IN SIZE FROM TO NIlCANTLY MORE SPACES THAN ARE DEMANDED
)NTERNET SEARCHES WERE CONDUCTED TO '3& WITH PROPERTIES IN !RIZONA BY USERS 4HE MEAN MEDIAN AND TH
IDENTIFY FREESTANDING CANCER CARE CENTERS #ALIFORNIA #OLORADO &LORIDA percentile parking occupancies recorded
WHICH IN THIS STUDY ARE DElNED AS CENTERS )LLINOIS )NDIANA -AINE FOR THE PROPERTIES WERE PERCENT
THAT SPECIALIZE IN CANCER CARE TREATMENT OC- -ASSACHUSETTS -ICHIGAN .EW PERCENT AND PERCENT
CUPY A BUILDING THAT EXCLUSIVELY HOUSES A *ERSEY .EW 9ORK AND 4EXAS
CANCER CARE CENTER AND HAVE ADJACENT PARK- 4HE MEDIAN SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE Parking Demand
ING THAT MEETS THE PARKING NEEDS OF THE CENTERS IS '3& #ENTERS FOCUS ON Parking occupancy counts were recorded
CANCER CARE CENTER WHILE AT THE SAME TIME IS OUTPATIENT CANCER CARE WHICH CAN INCLUDE FOR THE OUTPATIENT CANCER CENTER PARKING
NOT USED BY OCCUPANTS OF ADJACENT BUILDINGS PATIENT CONSULTATIONS AND CHECK
UPS CHE- SPACES TO DETERMINE PARKING UTILIZATION
&REESTANDING CENTERS WERE IDENTIlED AND MOTHERAPY AND RADIATION TREATMENTS DURING THE PEAK PERIOD OF AM TO
SELECTED FOR STUDY TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY NOON OR TO PM #ARE WAS TAKEN
OF THE DATA -ANY CANCER CARE CENTERS ARE Number of Buildings by Size TO AVOID THE NOON LUNCH HOUR AS SOME
INTEGRATED INTO EXISTING MEDICAL CENTERS AND 4HE OUTPATIENT CANCER CENTERS IDENTIlED EMPLOYEES SPEND THEIR LUNCH HOUR OFF SITE
IT IS NOT PRACTICAL AND IN MANY CASES NOT WERE THEN COMPARED ON THE BASIS OF OC- AND THE NUMBER OF PATIENT APPOINTMENTS
FEASIBLE TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE THE PARKING CUPIED '3& 4ABLE SHOWS THAT PER- IS FEWER 4HESE COUNTS WERE COMPARED
REQUIREMENTS OF THESE INTEGRATED CENTERS CENT OF THE BUILDINGS SURVEYED OCCUPIED WITH THE OCCUPIED '3& OF THE BUILDING
4HE )NTERNET SEARCH FOCUSED ON METRO- OR MORE '3& OF OCCUPIED mOOR 4ABLE LISTS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARK-
POLITAN AREAS WHERE 7ALKER 0ARKING #ON- AREA AND PERCENT OF THE BUILDINGS SUR- ING FACILITIES SURVEYED AT THE PEAK HOUR
SULTANTS HAS OFlCES 4HESE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS VEYED WERE LESS THAN '3& BY RANGE OF OCCUPIED PARKING SPACES PER
WERE SELECTED BECAUSE OF THE CONVENIENT '3& /BSERVED PEAK HOUR PARK-
PROXIMITY OFFERED TO 7ALKER STAFF MEMBERS Parking Supply ING DEMAND FOR THE SAMPLE RANGED FROM
WHO THEN PERFORMED lELD VISITS TO COLLECT %ACH INDIVIDUAL OUTPATIENT CANCER CENTERS TO SPACES PER '3& 4HE
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION A VERIlCATION PARKING SUPPLY WAS INVENTORIED 4HE MEAN OBSERVED MEAN AND MEDIAN PEAK HOUR
OF THE EXISTENCE OF A FREESTANDING CANCER MEDIAN AND TH PERCENTILE NUMBER OF PARKING DEMAND RATES WERE AND
CENTER AND CONlRMATION OF THE LIKELY INTEG- parking spaces supplied per 1,000 square RESPECTIVELY 4HE TH PERCENTILE RATE WAS
RITY OF THE DATA TO BE COLLECTED B INVENTORY FEET OF '3& WERE AND SPACES PER '3&
OF THE EXISTING ON
SITE PARKING SPACES AND RESPECTIVELY &IGURE ILLUSTRATES THE NUMBER 4HE DATA SET SHOWS A SIGNIlCANT DIFFER-
C COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF ON
SITE PARKED OF PARKING SPACES SUPPLIED PER '3& ence in parking generation rates depending
CARS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF AM TO -OST OF THE FACILITIES SURVEYED PROVIDE ON THE SIZE OF THE FACILITY 3MALLER CENTERS
NOON OR TO PM ON A WEEKDAY AN OVERABUNDANCE OF PARKING AND SIG- THOSE DElNED AS LESS THAN '3& OF
ITE JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2013 21
Table 2. Occupied spaces. Table 3. Parked cars by size of outpatient cancer center
per 1,000 GSF Number of Facilities Ratio of Peak Period Parked Cars per 1,000 Occupied GSF
0.00 to 1.00 3 Type of Center # Mean Median 85th Percentile
1.01 to 2.00 13 Medium/Large:
30 2.51 2.69 3.55
2.01 to 3.00 15 15,000–85,000 GSF
3.01 to 4.00 15 Small: < 15,000 GSF 23 3.17 3.08 4.44
4.01 to 5.00 5
5.01 to 6.00 0 termine that cancer hospitals should be ex- to construction, maintenance, and
6.01 to 7.00 2 cluded from the study of outpatient cancer snow removal.
care centers. Five cancer hospitals operated s 4HE NUMBERS OF CARS PARKED AT OUTPA-
building area, generated more parked cars by Cancer Treatment Centers of America tient cancer centers during the 10:00
per thousand square feet of GSF than me- (CTCA) were briefly studied, and these a.m. to 3:00 p.m. peak hours is almost
dium and larger centers, those centers that fit the previous profile of cancer hospitals. always exceeded by the number of on-
exceed 15,000 GSF of building area. Based on information obtained site parking spaces. This suggests that
Table 3 shows the mean, median, and through the Internet, including CTCA’s most developers are building more
85th percentile statistics separated by me- website and Google Maps, these facilities parking spaces than most outpatient
dium/large centers and small centers. provide 1.80 to 2.66 spaces per thousand cancer centers need. The observed
square feet of building area. This infor- mean parking supply ratio for the 30
Parking Requirements for mation suggests that this type of facility medium and large and 23 small out-
Medical Office Buildings generates demand for even fewer spaces patient cancer centers is 4.77 and 6.35
Walker studies parking demand charac- than an outpatient cancer center. Further spaces per 1,000 GSF of occupied
teristics of medical office buildings as a study is recommended for this type of building area, respectively.
routine course of its practice, often when cancer center. s 4HE OBSERVED MEAN PEAK HOUR
it conducts hospital parking studies. Previ- parking accumulation rate for the
ously, Walker performed a special study of Conclusions 30 medium and large and 23 small
50 medical office buildings (MOBs), and Fifty-three outpatient cancer centers were outpatient cancer centers is 2.51 and
the results of this study were published by surveyed as part of this research. The fol- 3.17 spaces per 1,000 GSF of oc-
the Institute of Transportation Engineers in lowing is a summary of findings: cupied building area.
2007. This study served as the basis for the s -EDIUM
TO LARGE
SIZED OUTPATIENT s 4HE OBSERVED TH PERCENTILE PEAK
recommended number of parking spaces cancer care centers, defined as those hour parking accumulation rate for
for MOBs as documented in the second with at least 15,000 GSF of building the 30 medium and large and 23
edition of Shared Parking, a joint publica- area, generate parking demand at a small outpatient cancer centers is
tion of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and rate that is less than the rate generated 3.55 and 4.44 spaces per 1,000 GSF
International Council of Shopping Centers by the typical medical office building. of occupied building area. ■
(ICSC), and an industry standard that was s 3MALL OUTPATIENT CANCER CARE CENTERS
vetted and approved by dozens of parking defined as those with less than 15,000 References
and transportation consulting professionals. GSF of building area, generate park- 1. Smith, M.S. Urban Land Institute and In-
Shared Parking recommends 4.50 spaces per ing demand at a rate that is similar to ternational Council of Shopping Centers. Shared
thousand square feet of gross floor area.1 typical medical office buildings. Parking, Second Edition, 2005.
The observed mean peak-hour parking s !N INDUSTRY
STANDARD TH PERCEN-
accumulation rate for 50 MOBs is 3.17 tile-type of recommendation for
spaces per 1,000 GSF of occupied building medium/large and small outpatient
area. These MOB parking generation rates cancer care centers is 3.5 and 4.5 JOHN W. DORSETT,
are greater than those parking generation parking spaces per 1,000 GSF of AICP, CPP, is a senior vice
rates observed for medium and large out- building area, respectively. This president and shareholder of
patient cancer centers but comparable to recommendation can be expected to Walker Parking Consultants.
the parking generation rates observed for provide sufficient parking for outpa- He directs the firm’s Consult-
small outpatient cancer centers. tient cancer centers. This recommen- ing Resources Group, which
dation includes an effective supply specializes in parking-related engagements includ-
Parking Supply at cushion of spaces equal to about 10 ing access and revenue control systems, airport
Cancer Hospitals percent of the supply and is necessary landside planning, financial analyses, functional
Although limited data on parking require- for a number of reasons, including design, operations consulting, planning studies,
ments for cancer hospitals were collected, user convenience and compensation and traffic engineering. He may be contacted at
enough information was collected to de- for the temporary loss of spaces due john.dorsett@walkerparking.com.
22 ITE JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2013
Table 4. Outpatient Cancer Center Statistical Data
Cancer Ctr. # Pkg. Spaces/ Count Time
# State Sq. Ft. Source Spaces ksf* Occupancy Cars/ksf Date of Day % Occupancy
1 New Jersey 85,000 Assessor's Office 264 3.11 214 2.52 10/11 10:15 81%
2 Massachusetts 84,678 Assessor's Office 550 6.50 315 3.72 10/15 11:00 57%
3 Arizona 82,000 Facility website 409 4.99 231 2.82 11/1 14:00 56%
4 Illinois 66,655 Assessor's Office 416 6.24 237 3.56 10/11 13:00 57%
5 Maine 59,894 Assessor's Office 244 4.07 177 2.96 10/17 11:00 73%
6 Michigan 55,000 Online ad 230 4.18 195 3.55 10/9 15:00 85%
7 Illinois 54,838 Assessor's Office 130 2.37 65 1.19 10/18 15:00 50%
8 Indiana 52,540 Assessor's website 189 3.60 105 2.00 10/8 14:45 56%
9 Indiana 51,327 Assessor's Office 346 6.74 209 4.07 9/25 11:00 60%
10 Florida 50,426 Assessor's website 391 7.75 88 1.75 10/11 14:00 23%
11 New York 50,000 Facility website 284 5.68 185 3.70 10/10 13:00 65%
12 Michigan 43,664 Assessor's Office 184 4.21 95 2.18 10/23 10:00 52%
13 Colorado 43,460 Assessor's Office 383 8.81 69 1.59 10/11 11:00 18%
14 Illinois 36,842 Assessor's Office 92 2.50 31 0.84 10/12 11:15 34%
15 Michigan 31,068 Assessor's Office 88 2.83 61 1.96 10/23 10:30 69%
16 Michigan 29,539 Assessor's website 99 3.35 89 3.01 10/9 10:15 90%
17 Indiana 29,307 Assessor's Office 81 2.76 52 1.77 10/23 10:00 64%
18 Illinois 24,173 Assessor's Office 112 4.63 80 3.31 10/17 13:45 71%
19 Colorado 23,105 Assessor's Office 118 5.11 72 3.12 10/19 11:15 61%
20 Florida 22,216 Assessor's Office 134 6.03 72 3.24 10/24 10:30 54%
21 Florida 21,503 Assessor's Office 126 5.86 44 2.05 10/24 14:30 35%
22 California 20,100 Assessor's website 74 3.68 59 2.94 10/10 10:30 80%
23 Indiana 19,928 Assessor's Office 100 5.02 55 2.76 10/10 10:00 55%
24 Colorado 19,254 Assessor's Office 97 5.04 17 0.88 10/11 13:30 18%
25 Texas 19,000 Houston Chronicle 112 5.89 49 2.58 10/9 11:45 44%
26 Michigan 18,148 Assessor's Office 108 5.95 66 3.64 10/23 10:00 61%
27 Illinois 16,076 Assessor's Office 14 0.87 11 0.68 10/17 13:30 79%
28 Indiana 16,000 Architect factsheet 118 7.38 42 2.63 10/11 10:00 36%
29 Texas 15,514 Costar 53 3.42 25 1.61 10/9 11:00 47%
30 Michigan 15,061 Assessor's Office 68 4.51 42 2.79 10/23 15:00 62%
31 Michigan 14,929 Assessor's Office 155 10.38 22 1.47 10/23 14:45 14%
32 Colorado 14,142 Assessor's Office 71 5.02 26 1.84 10/18 13:15 37%
33 Michigan 14,100 Assessor's Office 64 4.54 29 2.06 10/9 11:00 45%
34 Illinois 13,977 Assessor's Office 112 8.01 43 3.08 10/18 11:00 38%
35 Colorado 12,882 Assessor's Office 85 6.60 62 4.81 10/11 14:15 73%
36 Indiana 12,340 Assessor's Office 71 5.75 38 3.08 10/10 11:45 54%
37 Florida 12,220 Assessor's website 61 4.99 44 3.60 10/11 14:30 72%
38 Colorado 11,185 Assessor's Office 67 5.99 35 3.13 10/11 13:15 52%
39 Illinois 10,681 Assessor's website 101 9.46 23 2.15 10/10 12:30 23%
40 Texas 10,444 Assessor's Office 46 4.40 26 2.49 10/24 11:30 57%
41 Florida 9,600 Assessor's website 83 8.65 67 6.98 10/22 10:00 81%
42 Florida 9,579 Assessor's Office 77 8.04 40 4.18 10/24 11:15 52%
43 Florida 8,372 Assessor's website 55 6.57 28 3.34 10/19 11:15 51%
44 Florida 8,324 Assessor's Office 31 3.72 16 1.92 10/22 14:00 52%
45 Florida 8,249 Assessor's Office 42 5.09 22 2.67 10/22 11:00 52%
46 Florida 8,104 Assessor's website 23 2.84 32 3.95 10/23 11:15 139%
47 California 7,600 Assessor's website 28 3.68 8 1.05 10/10 11:00 29%
48 Florida 6,923 Assessor's website 52 7.51 47 6.79 10/19 10:45 90%
49 Florida 5,401 Assessor's Office 25 4.63 9 1.67 10/24 13:15 36%
50 California 4,500 Assessor's website 19 4.22 11 2.44 10/10 10:00 58%
51 Florida 4,416 Assessor's website 22 4.98 7 1.59 10/11 14:45 32%
52 Florida 4,168 Assessor's website 42 10.08 19 4.56 10/19 11:45 45%
53 Illinois 3,650 Assessor's website 40 10.96 15 4.11 10/10 10:15 38%
* ksf = 1,000 square feet
ITE JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2013 23
