Using social media to evaluate associations between parking supply and parking sentiment

A common complaint against changing parking requirements is that parking is critical for businesses to survive. Such statements are generally taken as a statement of fact by planners and local officials, yet there is little empirical work in support of this claim. This research examines how online business reviews reflect customer sentiment toward parking, and how this sentiment is associated with the supply of parking. The Phoenix, Arizona region is used for this analysis. The parking supply at the parcel level is combined with data from user-generated Yelp business reviews to assess satisfaction or frustration with parking at different types of businesses in commercial districts across the region. Results suggest that parking is mentioned in about 5% of overall reviews, and when mentioned in reviews it is most often as a negative characteristic of the establishment. Reviews that mention parking also give significantly lower ratings to businesses. The analysis shows that parking sentiment may be associated in some cases with parking supply, e.g. districts with more parking spaces per business tend to have more positive parking sentiment. Additionally, in areas with shared parking facilities, parking was generally viewed more positively or mentioned less frequently. These findings suggest that parking supply is part of a customer's overall perception of a business, though not a major component, and that shared parking facilities are not associated with negative reviews. Implications for policy are that shared parking can be part of an overall package of parking reforms that satisfy businesses and customers alike.