Urban planning in the Global North has historically prioritised car infrastructure, leading to car-dependent cities with congestion and pollution. In recent years, especially in north-western Europe, there has been a policy shift toward healthier and more sustainable urban environments, with strategies such as reducing parking capacity gaining attention. While this measure can discourage car use and free up urban space for alternative purposes, its city-wide impacts—particularly on public transport and cycling—remain underexplored.

This thesis investigates how large-scale parking space removal affects travel behaviour in Rotterdam, a city with relatively high car use but suitable conditions for car-lite policies. Three intervention scenarios (20%, 40%, and 60% parking reductions) are analysed using the V-MRDH macroscopic, multimodal transport model. To address the model's limitations, a supplementary estimation method was developed to more realistically approximate shifts in transport demand.

Results show that a 20% reduction could lead to a peak-hour modal shift of up to 2,566 motorists, corresponding to increases of 2.8% in public transport and 2.2% in cycling. Although average loads remain within capacity, some tram and bus lines face overcrowding during the busiest 15 minutes. The findings highlight the need for strategic public transport planning and model enhancements to accurately assess behavioural responses to parking policy changes.