Parking on pavements is the kind of issue that divides communities. Drivers need to park. Pedestrians need safe passage. Too often, the conversation descends into blame, frustration, and deadlock.

But on 15 August, something different happened.

Nineteen Easton residents gathered at The Pickle Factory in Bristol for a workshop led by Paul Thistlethwaite of Win-Win Alliance. The goal wasn’t to pick a side. It was to find a way forward that works for everyone.

The Method: Aims First, Solutions Later

Most arguments about controversial issues are actually arguments about solutions. We all have our preferred fix, and we fight over which one is best. But when you step back and ask people what they actually want to achieve, the picture changes dramatically.

That was the key insight behind this workshop.

Residents were first asked to explore the aims of pavement parking from two perspectives:

• The needs of those who use the pavement (pedestrians, wheelchair users, parents with prams, people with visual impairments)
• The needs of those who need to park close to home (residents, delivery drivers, carers, busy families)

This simple shift—listening to both sides without demonising anyone—allowed the group to build a shared understanding of what a good solution should deliver.

What We Agreed On

The flipcharts filled up with aims that nobody could argue with:

• Safety & Accessibility: Safe pavement travel for vulnerable pedestrians, bike access to roads, visibility for drivers, space for emergency vehicles, and parking close to home for those carrying heavy loads or with disabilities.
• Community & Environment: Streets that support social connection, reduced pollution, and pavements kept free from damage.
• Equity & Fairness: Solutions people can genuinely buy into, communicated clearly, and fair to everyone—whether they drive or not.
• Practicality: Rules that are cheap and easy to apply.

Notice something? There was no disagreement on any of these aims.

Exploring Real Solutions

With a clear set of aims in hand, the group moved to solutions—but not in a vacuum. Local experts, including Cllr Toby Wells (Knowle) and Zoe Banks Gross (Bristol Walking Alliance), shared practical ideas and research on what has worked elsewhere in the UK.

Residents then split into four groups, generating solutions across four categories:

• Regulatory & Enforcement – rules, fines, and accountability
• Physical & Infrastructure – street design, barriers, and repurposing bays
• Behavioural & Community-Led – culture shift, communication, and positive reinforcement
• Transport & Demand Management – reducing the need for cars in the first place

Each resident cast three votes on their preferred solutions.

The Top Results

The results were revealing—and hopeful.

🥇 Most popular (11 votes): Better public transport. Integrated networks, simple ticketing, better frequency, and routes to more places. A solution that doesn’t blame drivers but gives them a realistic alternative.

🥈 Second (6 votes): Repurpose parking bays to remove obstructions like bikes and bins, making pavements safer and clearer.

🥉 Third (5 votes): White lines on pavements to clearly mark where parking is and isn’t allowed—a simple, low-cost measure.

Also scoring strongly were physical barriers to prevent pavement parking, and creative behavioural campaigns using children’s voices to encourage considerate parking — similar to what many schools already do.

What This Workshop Achieved

This wasn’t about finding one magic answer. It was about proving that when you focus on shared aims rather than entrenched positions, progress is possible.

The most popular solution—improving public transport—attaches no blame to anyone. It simply offers a better way. And the second and third favourites were practical, low-cost, and sympathetic to residents with different needs.

That’s the win-win.

The Easton community has shown that even on issues as divisive as pavement parking, we can find common ground. We can listen, we can agree on what matters, and we can build solutions that work for everyone.

Because the goal isn’t to win an argument. It’s to create a street—and a city—that works for all of us.

Next Steps

This collaborative process has successfully united residents from across the area to tackle the complexities of pavement parking, resulting in three key outputs: 

• An Aims Framework to guide inclusive decision-making
• A Solutions Framework to map out available options, and 
• A concrete set of recommendations for the council. 

A report will now be formally submitted by Easton People’s Council to Bristol City Council’s Pavement Parking Taskforce for their official response. Meanwhile, the Easton Peoples Council campaign remains committed to supporting local residents in continuing to organise and advocate on this vital issue, ensuring that community voices stay at the heart of the conversation.

This workshop was delivered by the Win-Win Alliance in partnership with Easton People’s Council. Thank you to all 19 residents who took part, and to our expert contributors for their time and insight.

If you’d like to explore bringing a workshop to your community, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact paul@winwinalliance.org or perryw@talkshopuk.org