The cities and towns we live in are in endless evolution, designed by the infinite activities that take place in their edges and nodes. Driving and parking are among the vital happenings that have shaped North American cities since the rise of automobile ownership in the 1950’s.

Although there have been progressive benefits, the challenges that have culminated from the boom of driving outweigh the pros. From increased traffic congestion, increase in air-polluting emissions (affecting the environment and human health: climate change & the rise in asthma) and lastly – a problem not often thought of – parking.

Probing the topic of parking and its challenges makes room to explore the future of parking. There are cities pushing for sustainability and smart city growth that may be exemplary for big solutions on the horizon. The use of existing technology and creative data innovation has brought forth concepts like “smart parking”.

A Car Governed Society

Automobile ownership had evolved from a luxury to a necessity for commuting to and from work as a result of suburbanization – a product of the transportation revolution. Because of the car, cities became more spread out and less walk-able than they had once been. When we think about the effect cars have had on the way we utilize land, we might often forget about the impact parking has also had on the planning process.

The demand for parking spaces goes hand-in-hand with the boom in driving. Early on, cities and towns began requiring developers to include parking with the construction of new buildings. These policies required builders to include mandatory parking minimums, which varied by building type but included a corresponding amount of parking needed for approval.

In some places, many parking spaces do not get used and it appears to be an excessive amount of spaces but in other cases, parking is few and far between and can be pricey. Dense areas with limited space for expansion become challenging for city planners and developers to account for these parking minimums, especially when parking spaces increase the overall cost of development.

We pay for the free parking we demand as a taxpayer, as a resident, as a shopper and these rules are constricting the planning and design process as well as hurting the growth of our cities. How we utilize land is fundamental to the development of cities, so encouraging smart applications and efficient use for more livable spaces should be at the top of municipal to-dos.

What IS “Smart Parking”?

Well, it’s not as the picture above suggests. Cars cannot really drive up a wall to fit into a parking spot! Watch the video below and you’ll see what we mean. Although, it’s a great ad developed by Oakville Audi.

As we know it, the car is not going to be phased out of existence any time soon, based on the current climate of the gasoline industry and the continued heavy reliance on cars. A push in the right direction is unraveling thanks to the realization of climate change’s environmental, social and economic impacts. Electric cars and self-driving cars are some of the innovations on the rise in metropolitan areas like Japan, etc.

There can be such lure for residents and newcomers for cities to establish futuristic and efficient applications of technology for sustainability and smart growth.

Smart parking uses sensors to deliver real time monitoring of parking occupancy data which improves the livability of a community and the municipality’s management of their parking assets. Residents and out of town visitors can use an app to quickly locate and navigate to available parking spaces. This eliminates the need to circle the block reducing traffic congestion and emissions.

A municipality will be able to dynamically manage their parking assets. They will understand the usage patterns of each spot individually to ensure the number of available spots is meeting the demand for an area and that the occupancy of them is permissible.

• Dissecting Parking in a Smart City
• How Smart Parking Makes Way for Smart Cities

As mentioned, this innovation aids with traffic congestion and helps residents plan their routes smarter and more efficiently. Through the use of innovative technologies like this, municipalities can stay more connected and organized which provides a valuable social experience???

What is a “Smart City”?

The word “smart city” has been a buzzword within the urban development and technology industries for over a decade and although it doesn’t have an exact definition, it is an idealistic development concept with socio-economic benefits.

A smart city can be characterized by the use of technology and innovation to create efficiencies, improve sustainability and economic growth to enhance the general life of those living and working in a city landscape. Smart parking can provide municipalities reliable information to make informed decisions with existing technology.

• More posts on Silicon Halton site on Smart Cities

Special thanks to Sam Reid from QuaeNet.

(Image and video source: Oakville Audi)

Updated:  Aug 7/18  | By: Chris Herbert  

While taking in Old Montreal on the evening before the McRock IIoT Symposium, we passed by a lot of historical sites with less than thorough stories on bronze plaques about the importance of people and places from the past, so we would whip out our phones and get the details.  There is even an app you can download to give you more detailed accounts as you move around.

The question was asked – what did we do before?  What did we do before all of this information was made readily available if we wanted to have a deeper understanding of something?  The answer: we would wonder. And then – unless we were willing to spend a few hours in a library scouring microfiche searching for the answers – we would remain in wonder.  Which begs the question… Is there nothing left to wonder about?

Wondering has driven humanity to every corner of the globe and into space.  It has created cures for diseases and rules for societies. If we have all of the answers, and they are so easily accessible, we don’t need to be curious.  So, what will drive humanity forward when we know everything there is to know – if we no longer need to wonder?

Wondering and the Industrial Internet of Things

While covering the 2018 McRock IIoT Symposium, I learned that wonder is taking a new direction when it comes to the Industrial Internet of Things. IIoT is no longer just about the accumulation of data and knowledge, the shift is now to wondering what kind of world we can create when all of that data and knowledge are connected and combined to solve what was considered the unsolvable.  To eliminate the silos, to try different lenses, to find new levels of symbiosis.

To build a robust ecosystem that embraces diversity and pushes for inclusion from all verticals and levels – public and private – industrial and informational.  To hear every voice. It will be an amazing World.

• Smart City Meetup with Silicon Halton and Town of Oakville

But, it will take some seismic shifts to get there – and the shifts are much less about the technology that continues to leap quickly forward, and much more about the business models, assets, people and values that drive innovation… and the need to co-create.  Here are a few things that need to happen:

An end to ownership.  Proprietary protection of assets, data, intellectual property and relationships needs to be downgraded in favour of the potential for the greater advancement of the ecosystem as a whole.  

A change in roles.  Solution development must become more fluid and inclusive, drawing from all affected parties at every level. Not us vs. them, vendor or client. Just Us.

The development of protocols.  Simply, there needs to be a rulebook – a set of expectations and technical standardization – not for the protection of the individual or organization, but for the protection of the whole ecosystem – those who work in and on solutions and those who benefit from them.

A balanced advance.  The amazing world we are trying to build will require the collective intelligence and passion of all – every industry, every business, every relationship and interaction needs to be pulling in the same direction.  From founders to funders, large corporations to small, rookie to veteran.

• Technology’s Future According to a Venture Capitalist
• Interview with Jim Orlando, OMERS Ventures on 2018 VC scene

A new level of respect and partnership.  Between people and between organizations.  Common goals can be achieved, but the model of relationships needs to shift.  To take a cue from the recent World Cup – playing for the tie can be very effective over competing for domination.  We must learn to share our strengths more freely and adopt smarter solutions more quickly.

• Silicon Halton Member Creates Ask Oakville Alexa App
• How the Town of Oakville and Silicon Halton are Getting Smarter Together

An interconnected system.  A community of interaction.  It’s not impossible. It starts with well-intentioned groups of people with ideas and expertise to share – like Silicon Halton – and it grows from here, with more people with new ideas and expertise to share. Creating not just new connections, but innovative new ways by which to connect, and build an innovative ecosystem.

I wonder where we can go from here.  It will be an amazing World.

Photo: Fitz and Follwell