Smart Parking: Think Beyond Apps And Start Simple
In the ongoing development of Smart Cities, traffic and parking issues continue to be two of the top items in the list of things that, when correctly addressed and managed, can be turned around to create a tremendous positive impact on both citizens’ lives and the environment.
With an increase in population numbers in urban ecosystems as well as increased car ownership, traffic problems have only become tougher to manage, despite the availability of newer and more sophisticated tools to tackle these. The concern for more efficient parking methods and traffic systems is already seen in the agenda of multiple forums, from sustainability movements to intelligent city processes worldwide.
And while much of the attention over the past few years has solely focused on smart parking applications and sensors, which have done a huge job in contributing to more fluid traffic systems in cities, the truth is that we also need to look at issues pre-existing to smart apps and which also go way beyond them - such as readdressing free parking in city centres and how this contributes to many other factors around traffic and parking.
In his book “The High Cost of Free Parking”, UCLA Professor Donald Shoup shone a light on the issues of the American parking system, and what must be addressed in order to fix it. The book carves the arc of parking policy in the United States and abroad, approaching both on-street and off-street, or parking minimums that have sparked a domination of parking spaces to the detriment of walking spaces and other car-free, public use areas - something that has also been replicated in other parts of the world, and which we urgently need to readdress.
Along with these challenges, however, opportunities and initiatives have also come up, such as initiatives to ensure that drivers (and not the population at large) pay competitive, market-rate fees for parking in cities, including curb-side parking. While this may not sound like a popular option at first (except for large capitals where this has been the norm for decades), by getting rid of free parking spots, particularly in city centres, we encourage the use of alternatives such as public transport, cycling, scooters, or walking! And while smaller smart communities are generally taking longer to incorporate paid parking, they indeed have a much easier task of readapting their city centres to this system. It also reduces traffic congestion, noise and air pollution, while freeing up spaces for genuine needs - all contributing to a greater quality of life in our cities.
Thinking of the bigger picture in this regard is something that we need to ensure doing, along with taking advantage of technological solutions that make Smart Cities what they are today. But in the end, thinking smart goes beyond solely relying on technology to make our communities thrive.
