Hsinchu is moving ahead with an underground car park under Sanmin Park, good news for shoppers, parents on the school run, and drivers circling for spaces.

• Mayor Kao Hung-an has approved the planning and design phase for the garage.
• The area around the Big City mall, the fruit and vegetable market, and nearby schools draws heavy traffic all week, and parking has long been short.
• Building below ground keeps the green space above, where paths, planting, and rest areas will be upgraded.
• The garage is planned for more than 200 car spaces, with licence-plate recognition, smart space-finding, electronic payment, EV chargers, and accessible and parent-child bays.
• More greenery and water-permeable paving are meant to cool the area and cut the city heat-island effect.

Outlook: Design work starts now, with the final layout of the car park, park, and tennis courts to be settled with local residents before construction.