THE SOLUTION

MOBILE APPLICATIONS (APPS) FOR SMART PARKING  

Mobility

MOBILE APPLICATIONS (APPS) FOR SMART PARKING

Based on data, mobile applications can be developed to help users check parking availability in real time, book parking spaces in advance, and plan their trip to minimize travel time. Smart parking applications can also provide navigation features, inform drivers about parking conditions and rates, and even enable contactless payment. Mobile apps can facilitate on-demand parking allocation an especially useful feature for designated types of parking, such as parking spots for delivery vehicles, electric car charging stations, or emergency vehicles. They also enable cities to gather information and gain a better understanding of parking behavior and patterns, which in turn supports the development of holistic data-driven parking management strategies and enables data-driven transportation planning.

Sustainability check: What contribution do smart parking apps make?

Additional revenue streams for cities through smart mobile parking application fees
Contactless payment options allow cities to no longer worry about coins, cards or payment machines
Parking payment top-up features can notify drivers when their paid parking time is running out, reminding them to get back in their cars or giving them the option to extend their parking time
Planning and concentrating stationary traffic in traffic-calmed areas and at city entrances
Integrating mobile smart parking applications with other smart parking technologies (e.g., cameras) could ensure complete control of payment by matching the payment to the parking space number
Cities can use mobile apps to interact with the public (e.g., by soliciting feedback on the parking situation) or improve their service through citizen feedback

Requirements: What is needed for Smart Parking Apps?

Real-time data on the availability of parking spaces (e.g., from sensors, cameras) must be available and can be fed into the mobile application.
Other data sources like floating car data or data from cars can be used.
Providers can work with historical data and calculate forecasts using algorithms – foregoing the need to install the sensors necessary for real time data capture.
Network coverage is crucial for the functioning of mobile applications.
Technical systems must be continuosly maintained.
A digital map of the city's streets and parking lots must be created.

Our Raiting:

Smart parking mobile applications should be tailored to each city and align with the city's parking strategy and goals. The application can even be used to educate the public about the smart city strategy. Cities must ask themselves: is it better to invest in sensors / cameras to monitor parking or purchase data? How should the data be handled once acquired – would it be better to create a municipal app or sell the data to parking service providers and outsource the development of the app?

Which SDGS are addressed?

In order to create globally sustainable structures, the member states of the United Nations have set themselves 17 goals by 2030, which are set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.