That means the council's parking review working party, set up to deal with what has become a flashpoint issue, may find it very difficult to please everyone.
The council bowed to public pressure on Monday and backed down from its unpopular parking strategy.
Working party chairman Syd Brown said his understanding was that meant every aspect of the strategy could be reconsidered, and his role was to find some sort of consensus.
The working party will meet for the first time next Monday.
On top of recent occupancy counts of parks around the city and interviews with drivers, city environment general manager Tony Avery said surveyors talked to city businesses on Monday, asking their views "both positive and negative".
Data from Dunedin parking machines and about tickets handed out by parking officers would also be available.
One issue retailers are certain of, but some councillors less so, is whether parking is the only reason trade is down.
Cr Richard Walls said at Monday's council meeting demand at the city's off-street parking facilities had also decreased, including The Warehouse parks in the city and South Dunedin, the Meridian car park and council parking buildings. That raised the question of whether something apart from a reaction to the new parking regime was taking place.
Another issue the working party will have to consider is buses and bus stops. Cr Walls asked why some city blocks were treated differently to others, with the bus stop on one "stretching for the whole block".
"There's just too many bus stops - and they're just not in the right places."
However, transportation planning manager Don Hill said the length of bus stops had not changed since 1975, and they were not big enough.
Cr Brown said the decision on bus stops was not made by a councillor or a working party but was determined after consultation with bus companies and drivers.
They had been too small, with buses unable to fit all the way in, and that caused congestion. Nobody wanted a bus stop outside their shop, but they had to go somewhere.
"It's a balancing act, and it's very hard to please everybody."
Cr Fliss Butcher wondered why smaller buses could not be used, particularly at times when there were fewer passengers.
One strategy the council has used to deal with retailers' complaints has been to expand the use of loading zones so all vehicles can use them for loading and unloading, effectively making them free five-minute parks.
That has angered delivery drivers, who have found themselves competing with everyone else for the parks.
Mr Avery told the meeting there was a legal opinion a Government amendment passed in 2007 meant loading zones could be used by all vehicles loading and unloading, not just goods service vehicles.
He was challenged on that by Cr Colin Weatherall, who said no other city in New Zealand appeared to view them that way.
Mr Avery accepted the review group "may take a different view".
Cr Brown promised that as chairman he did not have a strong opinion either way on the issues, and would not be forcing his views on others.
"My role is to make sure we get input from all parties, and consensus is achieved."
WORKING PARTY
Councillors: Deputy mayor Syd Brown (chairman), Cr Andrew Noone, Cr Bill Acklin, Cr Michael Guest.
Co-opted representatives: Prof Herbert Harris (community), Conway Powell (Otago Chamber of Commerce), David Ojala (University of Otago), Sonja Dillon (Otago District Health Board).
