This study was conducted in 2007–2009 as the IATSS Research Project to consider the comfort and safety of city centers in the automobile age from the perspective of “parking places.” We focused on four elements related to parking places, that is, 3D & M (density, disposition, design, and management) and proposed changes to parking policy in Japan by comparing and analyzing the actual conditions of parking lots or facilities in different city centers and legal systems in several counties, including Japan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The key concept of our proposal is that we should shift the policy of parking from equipment-duty car-parking “on-site” to parking installation”in-area,“good management, and smart operation. The findings of this project were widely shared through open symposium with non-members of the IATSS as well as book publication and led to many system revisions in the Japanese parking policies. •IATSS Research Project on Parking conducted in 2007–2009.•We compared and analyzed the actual conditions of parking places in various city centers and legal systems on parking.•We analyzed “3D & M" (Density, Disposition, Design and Management) on parking places.•Proposed revisions on Japanese parking policy.