The Parking Availability Network is a proposed system that uses sensors embedded in parking spaces and vehicles to track parking availability across a city. Static sensors mark spaces and provide information like occupancy. Mobile sensors in vehicles scan static sensors to tag spaces as occupied or not. This creates a map of parking availability that is integrated with vehicle navigation to help drivers find spaces and reduce congestion. The system also enables dynamic pricing to encourage use of less popular spaces.

1. The Parking Availability Network
A proposed system for the tagging and monitoring of parking
resources in megacities
Ben Nayer
ARCH 531 Networked Cities

2. 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.

3. Static Sensors
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.

4. Mobile Sensors
The 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.