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ABSTRACT

1.

The high number of vehicles in urban areas has led to several

negative effects and one of the key challenges is the unavailability
of parking spaces especially in the peak hours. At present, the
limited availability of parking spaces results in 30% of city traffic
congestion due to the fact that most motorists drive slower in
parking areas as they search for parking spaces leading to traffic
congestion As a result, most urban areas have a gridlock
especially in the mid to late morning hours where motorists,
residents and stakeholders waste their time and money in form of
fuel as they await to occupy the limited available parking spaces.
Motorists spend an average of between 3.5 and 14 minutes
searching for a parking space each time they visit a city or urban
area as they compete for the limited spaces available. Such delays
extend the lead time on routine activities and also cause
productivity loss. It is estimated that there over 800 million
passenger cars on the streets and roads of the world today and this
number is projected to reach 3 billion by 2050. Smart parking
ecosystems interlink parking space suppliers, businesses and
motorists by detecting and relaying parking information in real
time. By bridging the information gap, motorists can evaluate
parking activity in order to make informed decisions which
improve efficiency in the operations of a city.

Various study and research findings gathered over the recent years
show that there has been an exponential increase in the number of
vehicles in the cities. The high number of vehicles in urban areas
has led to several negative effects and one of the key challenges is
the unavailability of parking spaces especially in the peak hours.
As a result, most urban areas have a gridlock especially in the mid
to late morning hours where motorists , residents and stakeholders
waste their time and money in form of fuel as they await to
occupy the limited available parking spaces. This impasse has
additional far reaching effects in deference to health, where
motorists are exposed to excessive exhaust fumes as they await to
park their automobiles. Companies and governments have taken
note of this problem and are starting to search for lasting solutions
to the parking crisis in most major cities such as New York,
London and Sydney. Among the most promising solutions is the
use of advanced technologies known as Smart Parking - to
provide real-time parking data to help motorists to save time,
money and health as well as facilitate the reduction of GHG
emissions and traffic congestion. This report seeks to evaluate the
significance of smart parking and also discuss new innovations in
smart parking while exploring their advantages and disadvantages.
This report will also assess the impact of smart parking on urban
design, both at present and in the near future.

INTRODUCTION

2. WHY CITIES PREFER SMART PARKING

Motorists spend an average of between 3.5 and 14 minutes
searching for a parking space each time they visit a city or urban
area as they compete for the limited spaces available [1]. These
situations are aggravated when the parking areas are congested,
leading to further delays as motorist are obstruct from vacating
spaces when they need to leave. Such delays extend the lead time
on routine activities and also cause productivity loss. It is
estimated that there over 800,000,000 passenger cars on the streets
and roads of the world today and this number is projected to reach
3 billion by 2050 [2].
Table 1 Table showing current and projected data on global
transportation systems

Conference10, Month 12, 2010, City, State, Country.

Copyright 2010 ACM 1-58113-000-0/00/0010$10.00.

Current

Near Future

Year

World population

6 billion

9 billion

2044

Passenger vehicles

800 million

3 billion

2050

Population in cities

3 billion

5 billion

2030

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At present, the limited availability of parking spaces results in

30% of city traffic congestion due to the fact that most motorists
drive slower in parking areas as they search for parking spaces
leading to traffic congestion. A 15-block, 1-year study by UCLA
Professor Donald Shoup revealed that drivers who were looking
for parking drove an excess of 950,000 miles [3]. Moreover, air
pollution is another serious problem according to a UCLA study
which found that motorists in search of parking caused 10% of a
cars GHG emissions and produced an estimated 730 tons of CO 2
and wasted 47,000 gallons of gas per year [4]. In addition,
looking for parking spaces has been shown to increase driver
frustration every year, with a 2001 study indicating that 46% of
drivers gave up on their daily routine activities due to high
frustration and increased stress level since they became impatient
while waiting in a traffic congestion or long queue [5]. Motorists
have been shown to be partial to parking space at popular
locations such as near shopping mall entrances, near escalators or
lifts and hence some of parking spaces will not be utilized yet
some location will be overcrowded [3].

3.

SIGNIFICANCE OF SMART PARKING

Smart parking ecosystems interlink parking space suppliers,

businesses and motorists by detecting and relaying parking
information in real time. By bridging the information gap,
motorists can evaluate parking activity in order to make informed
decisions which improve efficiency in the operations of a city.
According to results of a 2004 study on 400 government
organizations and private companies, transport was fundamental
to investment [3]. Smart parking creates several opportunities to
which business can maximize productivity by increasing sales and
revenue. This innovation also enables cities to obtain value from
curbside parking while maintaining 15% of parking spaces vacant,
thereby reducing gridlock while obtaining revenue [6]. Smart
parking also facilitates the use of alternative transport and/or time
utilization by charging higher rates during peak time and lower
rates during off peak hours thereby reducing congestion and time
wasted in search of parking spaces. Furthermore, smart parking
improve conformity to parking rules and also facilitate
enforcement of parking laws thereby increasing productivity by
enabling new payment methods which increase revenue flows to
a city and also decrease enforcement costs thereby ensure
adequate turnover of parking space.

4.

SMART PARKING INNOVATIONS

According to Gerry Mooney, Today, there is a massive amount of

transportation data available that can help cities alleviate
congestion and improve transportation services, such as parking
[5]. It is the new smart parking innovations that play an important
role in accruing and disseminating transportation data that enable
cities to provide excellent parking service to public.

4.1

SMS Parking or MParking

SMS parking is the most flexible and convenient method of

paying for Parking fees using mobile phones and motorists
normally receive a reminder SMS 15 minutes before their parking
time expires so they may either retrieve their vehicle or opt to
extend the time by simply sending an SMS [5]. This method
however has some disadvantages for instance the use of local
communication companies may result in SMS charges, while in
some instances the SMS by more than 10 minutes due to network
congestion. In addition, this method does not provide information

about available parking. A good example of mParking is with the

Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai where the RTA's
mParking service is a considered the latest value-adding service.
RTAs mParking service will enable motorists to pay for virtual
parking through Etisalat and Du mobile phones. To complete a
transaction, motorists will have to send an SMS to 7275 thereby
eliminating the use of Payment Display Machines which require
coins to function. In order to ensure the extensive adaptation of
the RTA service, registration has been made compulsory for
motorists with non Dubai private plate numbers. New users will
eliminate the problem of searching for parking meter and coins,
receive SMS reminders on parking time, and experience the
convenience of extending parking time from remote locations
such as office or home without the need to physically visit the
parking space.

4.2

APPs Parking

This method utilizes smart phone applications (apps) and

development into this frontier has seen companies develop smart
parking apps solutions for cities, airports, and private garages
such as Parker and ParkMe which are real-time consumer parking
app for smartphones and tablets [8]. These apps assist motorists to
find parking spaces with ease thereby save time, fuel and money.
In addition, parking can be paid for through the app hence a
motorist does not disengage from their activities to pay for
parking physically. Some of the apps also allow motorists to
make advance reservations, which increases parking convenience
and saves time. Some of the advanced apps even allow motorists
to view parking policy information and compare prices, hours,
and tariffs, enabling them to take advantage of garages and lots
offering special deals. Indeed some of these applications such as
Streetlines Parker app and the ParkMe app for iPhone even guide
motorists to available parking spaces through their phones
navigation systems even in congested neighborhoods and tourist
destinations [8].
Indeed ParkMe is innovative in numerous fronts with the central
aim of saving time, energy and financial resources by guiding
motorists to the nearest available parking location at a cost range
specified by the motorist. ParkMe gathers and evaluates data
about street parking, thereby assimilating a highly comprehensive
parking database that is made up of approximately 25,000
locations globally in more than 400 cities. The ParkMe
application then employs proprietary technology to relay the
parking information to the motorist through the iPhone. The
application suggests the best parking locations by analyzing
direction, speed and traffic thereby providing the motorist with the
optimized parking space available. The rate calculator, which is
also part of the application, is responsible for calculating the total
cost of parking, with respect to the time a motorist intends to park
his or her car at a parking space. ParkMe is therefore able to
facilitate the decongestion of urban traffic by facilitating easy and
rapid parking therefore lowering carbon emissions in the process.
To achieve such a comprehensive parking database for street
parking locations, the developers of the ParkMe application are
consistently in directly interaction with government and private
stakeholders. This continuous collaboration has enabled the
application to be widely accepted globally since it provides
multifaceted data from both the public and private sectors. Due to
the intricate collaboration between developers, cities and other
stakeholders, ParkMe is able to provide motorists with
information on space usage and costs by deriving a bulk of the
data from existing systems like parking meters, sensor nodes and

gateways. Applications such as ParkMe can therefore be scaled

without additional costs since the pertinent framework is
inherently dynamic. The capacity to process normalized data
using prognostic algorithms also ensures such applications afford
motorists with accurate and real time data on all nearly available
parking spaces as well as their costs per unit period.

4.3

Sensors Car Parking

The sensor-based Smart Parking Ecosystem interlinks the parking

providers, merchants, motorists, and technology thereby
facilitating concurrent communication between involved parties
by sensing and detecting parking activity in real time. The end
result is the bridging of the information gap which enables
motorists to measure activities and making informed decisions to
improve functions. By connecting a citys residents and visitors to
the information grid, parking sensors not only decongest the citys
transport system but also make the lives of the inhabitants easier
and enjoyable. As a result, city managers, workers, and citizens
acquire the option to exercise joint effort to improve their urban
lifestyle. For instance Transit-Based Information Systems
specifically provides parking space information and public
transportation schedules in Park and Ride facilities. The systems
main purpose is to encourage commuters to park their vehicles
and use buses or trains for their transit. This in turn will reduce
traffic congestion, pollution, and fuel consumption. Vehicle
detectors are employed similar to PGI and after the information is
gathered and processed by the sensors, parking data is dispersed
as messages that are displayed on message signs along highways
leading to park and ride lots. Another example is Streetline which
employs advanced technological integration to make Smart
Parking a simple endeavor and improve the way city residents live
and work. The most prominent aspect of Streetline is the
amalgamation of all aspects of parking management technology
into a single integrated system that utilizes street-level sensors,
mobile applications, as well as analytics and system management
software in order for cities, motorists and stakeholders to have full
control and optimum management capacities of citys parking
system. The Streetline system is so advanced that does not allow
access to its features through any smart phone other hand held
devices while a vehicle is in motion and recommends the use of a
hands-free dashboard cradle for all devices.
For instance Smart Parking sensor systems are used to easily and
rapidly locate parking spaces for free, leading to less CO 2
emissions, less fuel consumption and less traffic congestions.
Smart Parking sensors are normally located within the proximity7
of parking spaces most common being in the ground forming a
sensor network that is bolstered using radio frequencies. For
instance the SmartSantander sensor network communicates with a
parking lot entryway using radio frequencies of 2.4GHz,
868MHz, or 900MHz [8].The radio network is highly integrated
thereby allowing even for software upgrades and modifications
using radio frequencies rather than physical manipulation of the
sensors. Another example is the ZigBee connections which use
mesh networks made of routing motes that source energy from
street lights. This allows the parking sensors to communicate over
long distances due to the use of low frequencies. As a result, a
single smart parking sensor network may contain hundreds or
even thousands of nodes which can simple be maintained over a
radio network. The use of PVC casings to hold sensor nodes
protects them from mechanical and environmental damage, and
also ensures that radio communication is sustained [8].

Most sensor parking relies on mobile or computer systems for

instance the Parker application, which provides motorists with
real-time information to help find vacant parking spaces through
their Smart phones. The Parker has been deployed in most
European cities such as Paris, Berlin and Madrid to assist
residents, visitors, developers and city management in making
better decisions related to their parking and transportation
systems. Parker is currently available for select smart phones and
compatible tablets, and it is expected that collaborations will car
manufacturers will have it integrated as in-car navigation systems.
In addition to alerting drivers to available parking, Parker also
allows users to pay for parking directly from mobile phones
across more than 80 U.S. cities, offers convenient reminders that
alerts motorists when their meter bill is about to expire, it saves
parking history for easy access later and also help motorists locate
their cars through Google Maps. While Parker is a sensor system
based on a mobile platform, ParkEdge on the other hand is based
on a computer platform. ParkEdge which is an easy-to-use,
internet-based parking information platform, has enabled
European parking facility managers and car park operators to selfpublish real-time parking availability, capture reservations, and
run promotions over the internet. The main advantage is that
internet is readily available in Europe and therefore the
competition between park operators is high. The high competition
implies that innovation is fundamental to competitiveness and
therefore motorists are not only obtaining parking spaces at
reduced rates but also the amount of data available to motorists is
increasingly high, accurate and fast.
Table 2: Summary table of all innovations

SMS

APPs

Sensors

Add multiple
vehicles

Camper rates

Real time
information

Huge data of
Easy extend your location-price
time by send
option hours
SMS
lowest parking
Receive reminder
SMS 10 minutes Real time
occupancy
before expiry
time
Reminder
Easy payment
Extend
no meter or coins
Attach photo or
voice

Understand and
manage your
citys parking
Easy process

Analysis data
Send to mobile
apps
Small shape

Send parking spot

details as
entrance points
Update every 5
minutes
x

Need to register Need network

Must be holding
local registered
mobile number
Not free SMS
Late receive a
text

Expansive
installing
$20-30 per
sensor /month
Lack a certain
amount of
information
Need conservation

5.
THE IMPACT OF SMART PARKING
ON URBAN DESIGN
Smart parking encourages multiple mobility options for
pedestrians and cyclists by optimizing the connectivity of the
street, lane and open space network. As a result, integrating smart
parking into urban design introduces a paradigm shift from
functionality to flexibility in urban design [7]. The design of road
networks, implements and structures is therefore focused on
improving the quality and efficiency of parking layouts while also
creating a safe and attractive environment. The main objectives of
urban design are reduce the amount of traffic congestion and air
pollution in the city as well as facilitating the security and
wellbeing of residents and visitors [6]. Planning for smart parking
on car parks, buildings and street parking lanes that is considered
the important tool of urban design and which allows for the
development of high quality, flexible infrastructure within a city.

6.

CONCLUSION

Smart parking is currently not an alternative to urban planning

rather is an inherent component of urban design since it facilitates
the flexibility of a citys transport system thereby augmenting
sales of both businesses and governments. Currently the lack of

adequate parking of generates 30% of urban traffic jams and has

also been linked to increased levels of stress and frustration
among motorists. City motorists may drive in an excess of
950,000 miles in search of parking which is a contributing factor
to air pollution with 10% of a cars GHG emissions and 730 tons
of CO2 resulting from the search of parking spaces. The necessity
for smart parking is therefore real and companies have developed
various innovations such as SMS parking, apps parking and
sensors car parking to buttress flexible and sustainable car parking
solutions.

[4] Shoup, D. 2005. The High Cost of Free Parking.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-0603/opinion/17379286_1_parking-spaces-off-street-parkingfree-parking

REFERENCES

[7] Litman, T. 2008. Parking Pricing: Direct Charges for Using

Parking Facilities. TDM Encyclopedia, Victoria Transport
Policy Institute. http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm26.htm

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Talks. http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_ford_a_future_beyond_
traffic_gridlock.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_201106-21.
[2] Harvard Business School. 2011. Business and Environment
Initiative: Investing in Cities of the 21st Century:
Urbanization, Infrastructure and Resources.
http://www.hbs.edu/environment/docs/HBS-Investing-inCities-of-the-21st-Century.pdf
[3] Shoup, D. 2005. The High Cost of Free Parking. APA
Planners Press, NY.

[5] Kolozsvari, D. and Donald S. 2003. Turning Small Change

Into Big Changes. http://www.walkablestreets.com/meter.htm
[6] Schaller, B. 2006. Curbing Cars: Shopping, Parking and
Pedestrian Space in SoHo. New York: Transportation
Alternatives.
www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/reports/soho_curbing_cars.
pdf.

[8] Ostrow, A. 2011. How well beat traffic and find parking
spots in the future. CNN,
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/03/03/parking.f
uture.mashable/index.htm