Brooklyn Nave: Assignment 7A- Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

Parking Shortage in Gainesville, FL

In the city of Gainesville, FL there is a huge shortage of parking for students living in off-campus apartments. Every day students are faced with the constant struggle finding a parking spot, often the parking spots are far away from their apartments posing a potential threat to students.

The Who: Students living off-campus in Gainesville, FL
The What: Potential safety threat when students have to park far away from their apartments
The Why: The shortage of parking spots available off-campus in Gainesville

Testing the who: University of Florida students are not the only "who" that have this need. This need would expand to all college students in college towns that have a shortage of parking spots for their off-campus students. Although, I have not been to many other college towns to know if this need is as bad as it is in Gainesville, I do believe that there are other students that would have a need for this opportunity.
Testing the what: Parking is not just an issue around the apartments directly off campus and near sorority row, it is a problem around downtown and places surrounding Archer Rd. This creates a parking problem for not just the students at the University of Florida but for the local residents in the city of Gainesville as they are using those parking spots as well.
Testing the why: I believe that the shortage of parking spots in Gainesville is due to the fact that it is a small town and was not very expanded or commercialized before the University came into town. The amount of parking spots that were available for the residents of Gainesville were probably plenty enough before UF came into the town, but after it created a huge shortage of parking for the city.

This first interview that I conducted was with a student who lives directly off campus by 12th street. He informed me that he has spent "countless hours driving up and down the neighboring streets surrounding his apartment complex looking and hoping to luck up on a parking spot." He agrees that there is a serious problem with the parking for apartment complexes off the University's campus.

This next interview that I conducted was with a student who does not live directly close to campus but finds herself commuting to sorority row quite frequently throughout the week. When asking her how she felt about the parking she told me that during the hours she usually is visiting sorority row and the streets surrounding directly off campus she is in "constant competition" with the residents of that area to find parking. She told me that she is typically traveling to this area between 5:00-6:30 pm, she informed me that finding a parking spot is especially bad during this time and she would "most definitely like to see an improvement in the parking."

My next interview that was conducted was with a student who currently lives in my apartment complex that is located directly off-campus and just a few streets over from sorority row. When asking her, her opinion on the parking shortage in Gainesville she was more than happy to tell me her opinion on the current situation. She told me that not only is finding a parking spot the first issue that she has, but finding a parking spot that is big enough for her car. She owns a jeep and tells me that "often I find open spots when looking for a parking spot but then realize that it is too narrow or there is not enough room for her car." She feels that if they do expand the parking that they need to make spots that accomodate for all types of cars.

The next interview that I conducted was with a friend who lives in an apartment complex down the street from mine. This student is currently renting a parking spot from his apartment complex and pays a monthly fee. When asked his opinion on the current parking situation in Gainesville he told me that he identified the shortage "right away" and quickly contacted his apartment complex to purchase a parking spot from them. He feels that without this parking spot he would not be able to get around as easily and that leaving his apartment to go places would not be very practical. But, he does have concerns with renting parking spots from apartment complexes because of the "extremely overpriced rates" at which they sell the spots for, but, believes these high rates are due to the shortage of parking spots the apartment complex has from the city as well.

My fifth and final interview that I conducted was with a student who lives at what I believe to be one of the closest apartments located near campus. This student currently has a car at school with her and has a scooter. When I asked her on her opinion about the current parking situation in Gainesville she told me that she has been using only her scooter to get around the town because when she drives her car she is "unable to find any parking close to her apartment complex." She also informed me that after this semester is over she will be leaving her car at her parents home and only using her scooter because of how "difficult" the parking situation has been recently this year.

After conducting these interviews...

These interviews with every student that I was able to interview helped me gain some insight on my opportunity and was truly made aware of how dire the need for more parking spots and spaces are in Gainesville, especially around the off-campus apartments that are relatively close to campus.
Each person that I was able to interview helped me to realize that this is a huge part of the students lives and that the need for more parking spots would help to ease the danger of parking away from their apartment complexes and having to walk alone especially at night which increases the safety threat that students would face.
Before conducting these interviews I knew that there was a need for more parking spots to become available around the off-campus apartments just from my own experience and the struggles I have faced trying to find parking for my own car. But, after talking to five different students I learned that I am not the only one who would have a huge need for my opportunity I am seeking to supply.

Brooklyn Nave