Closing 317 spaces in the main open-air carpark of Holland Village will affect the business vibrancy of the area to a great extent, and for seven long years too, till the new mixed-use development is complete (Holland V carpark closure postponed; Aug 14).

It will not be the same, even with the walkways connecting two Urban Redevelopment Authority carparks in Holland Drive to Holland Village.

Car owners, who will have to park farther away, will not be as inclined to shop and dine at this iconic landmark as they used to be in the past.

I suggest that a plot of land nearby be allocated for a high-rise automatic parking system. A 10-storey building, with parking spaces for 40 vehicles at each level, would accommodate 400 vehicles.

I have seen such parking systems in places like Osaka, Nagoya, Chengdu and Taipei.

In Osaka, department store Takashimaya operates two blocks of high-rise, windowless, auto-parking facilities for its shoppers as land space in that city is limited and expensive.

I hope those in charge of the redevelopment projects in Holland Village will study the cost of implementing such a system here and its reliability.

Tan Kok Tim