The Parking Availability Network

A proposed system for the tagging and monitoring of parking resources in megacities

Ben NayerARCH 531 Networked Cities

System Basics

The Parking Availability Network is a service that uses a series of sensors and tagging systems embedded into parking areas and cars with the aim of reducing parking congestion, aiding drivers in finding spaces, and improving the tracking of parking availability and usage patterns over time in large megacities, where such problems can be particularly bad.

There are two major sensor types that comprise the system – static, embedded in parking spaces & structures, and mobile, which participating drivers install into their cars and which interact with in-car navigation systems as well as the embedded components. Together, these sensors form a city-wide network for tracking parking availability.

Static sensors primarily serve to mark parking spaces for purposes of the mobile sensors, indicating whether or not a space is occupied, as well as other information, such as how long it's been occupied or how much paid time is remaining. They can also integrate into existing electronic parking meter services.

Static Sensors

Mobile SensorsThe mobile sensors, when active, automatically scan for static sensors nearby, and tag whether or not each sensor's space is occupied. Through the activity of many drivers, a comprehensive map of the city's parking can be created via the network.

Parking Maps

This information is synced with in-car navigation to generate location-specific maps of the parking spaces in an area and their availability. The maps themselves cover relatively small areas, so that it is easy for a driver to get an idea of the parking availability quickly, without being too distracting.

Parking Maps

As they drive, the map shifts based on the sensors in the area to update to the correct locations. Additionally, directional cues indicate where a driver might find an open space not on their current map. In parking structures, for example, individual floor maps are shown, with arrows indicating if the floor above or below has open spaces.

Dynamic Pricing

The information available from constantly tagged parking spaces through this system allows for a dynamic pricing scheme to be implemented during peak traffic times. As the goal is to reduce congestion, spaces that go unoccupied – those that are considered less optimal due to distance, for example – will be cheaper to use.

Dynamic Pricing

This is reflected on the in-car parking maps as color encoding; cheaper spaces will be green on default settings, although other options should be made possible in the interests of accessibility.

Notifications

The other integration with in-car navigation is the notification system. If a driver is already using in-car navigation to plot a route, the system can go one step further and notify the user of open, recommended parking places once they reach their destination, and if desired give directions to them.

Notifications

Alternatively, a driver can activate this feature at any time, prompting the system to search the area, notify them of the most ideal spot (generally the cheapest while still being reasonably close) and give directions.

Final Points

Participation/membership is subscription-based; for the subscription, a member gets the device to install in their car (which is simple to do), which allows them to benefit from the dynamic pricing, as well as receive the notifications & other parking information.

Between the dynamic pricing, the notification system, and the general parking information, the goal is to widen the perception drivers have of parking space availability and desirability, so that they take spaces they might not have otherwise and generally make it easier to find spaces. Ideally this should reduce congestion, since the available parking spaces in the city are being used more efficiently.