Rethinking parking, traffic and roads in smart city structures
In the daily life of modern cities, road and traffic related topics are some of the most pressing issues. From cluttered traffic at rush hour to shortage of parking spots or outdated road infrastructures, these have a large impact on the lives of citizens, and are one of the biggest sources of stress for them as well as for city officials. So finding effective solutions within the structure of a smart community plan shouldn’t just be obvious, but also a key priority.
Looking at most smart city initiatives, traffic and roads have become a hot topic. With cities growing and expanding and the number of vehicles on the road ever increasing, a lot of cities around the world are finding it more and more challenging to find innovative solutions. However, there are communities around the world already making great strides in this field, either with existing or planned solutions currently in progress.
Just recently, the city of Montgomery, in Alabama, received much-deserved recognition for the use of tech & innovation, becoming a winner in the 2021 Smart 50 Awards. The driving force behind this accolade is a cutting-edge new programme which the city uses to assess roadways and pave priorities, called “Roadbotics”. It looks at cracks, potholes and utility patches along the entire roadway of the city, mapping it out with much higher efficiency than the naked eye.
On the other hand, White & Case LLP recently published a report in Open Access Government that looks at the increase in smart transportation systems and how new mobility concepts will change the dynamics between private & public actors, looking for example at the increase of transport sharing options in cities (as opposed to private vehicle ownership) alongside the use of public transport. Smart highways and how we make use of data are becoming an integral part of smart transportation, which also needs to take into consideration congestion management, emergency response, integrated traffic light management, public information systems, road user charging, smart parking and traffic monitoring and management.
In the US, officials are also rethinking parking minimums. On average, America has eight parking spots for every car, taking up approximately 1,296 sq ft or urban space, warping cities. Looking for parking spots every day is a worldwide topic of frustration, and the problem lies with blanket policies that don’t account for the urban environment, transportation demographics, new development, and the type of businesses that form part of the urban ecosystem. Most parking minimums policies simply calculate necessary square footage based on either maximum occupancy or size of buildings, which are inefficient as well as outdated.
The new smart world we live in calls for smart solutions that look at every aspect of day to day life. Transportation and how we get around the communities that we live in have a huge impact on our collective wellbeing, and it only makes sense to make it a strong priority for urban planners.
