A fresh idea is underway that will help solve the burning problem of finding a parking space so that citizens do not waste time and fuel unnecessarily in the city trying to park their car.

It’s about the system ParkV is the main result of a research project that is implemented by the Technical University of Crete and the Indigo Research Group (Industrial and Digital Innovation Research Group) under the scientific responsibility of Associate Professor Giorgos Arambatzis of the School of Production and Management, and the Attica Region, with the assistance of the Special Secretariat for Long Term Planning.

“The daily use of the car has created a number of problems, including the problem of parking, especially in large urban centers, especially in Athens, as well as in areas with special characteristics, such as islands, tourist cities with a rapid increase in the number of car users. their road networks due to inbound tourism from time to time,” Mr. Arabatsis told APE-MBE, adding that “the problem is multi-factorial and in this context, creating parking spaces that cover ever-increasing demand is not environmentally and economically justified option, easily and immediately applicable in a wide range.

Inspired by the basics exchange principles, the ParkIn project seeks to engage citizens to actively participate in solving this ongoing problem. “The sharing economy is a term that has been widely used in recent years to describe commercial activities through online platforms where third parties trade with each other, providing access to available or underused resources, primarily for financial reasons,” said researcher. pointed out that some well-known examples include renting apartments, accommodating travelers, using other people’s cars for a short period of time, and using personal cars to transport others.

The Culture of Parking Sharing

“ParkIn is based on this approach, extending the culture of sharing to parking. Owners of private parking spaces, and not only, participate by providing their personal space in their home for any period of time, with the possibility of receiving rewards, for example, immediately finding a parking space, respectively, in the desired area, or looking for, or other financial benefits,” noted Mr. – Mr. Arabatsis, who noted that “at the same time, an improvement in travel conditions is achieved by dramatically reducing the time to find a parking space with environmental (emission reduction), energy (fuel savings), socio-economic (money and free time savings) benefits “.

The ParkIn system consists of an application for smart devices (smartphones, tablets) in which private parking spaces will be registered in accordance with the principle of sharing, which remain empty in the absence of the owners, but are available to potential stakeholders who move in the area. The application will have a direct connection to the digital platform, which, by evaluating the data received from the application, will provide estimates regarding the environmental, energy, economic and social benefits received by the user.

“As part of the project, the Parkin system will be tested in a high-density area (Athens) with an acute parking problem, as well as in an island provincial city (Chania). The goal of the project team is to create and offer citizens an easy-to-use application that will provide data on a specially configured platform for real-time monitoring of savings at the environmental, energy and financial levels,” explained Mr. Arabatsis.

The ParkIn system will be designed to be replicated and expanded from different regions (continental, island, large/medium) using targeted information and awareness raising activities that will ensure ownership and user engagement and increase citizen benefits. but also the state.

“The problem of parking is palpable and escalates every day, so proposals and ideas such as the ParkIn system can give satisfactory results, immediately, cost-effectively, sustainably and environmentally friendly, decongesting our cities, reducing atmospheric and sound pollution. but also to deal with the daily suffering of hundreds of drivers in terms of time, cost and stress level,” concluded the research project leader.

The ParkIn project officially launched in May 2023, has a duration of two years and is funded by the Green Fund under Priority Axis 3: Research and Application of the Environment and Innovative Action 2022 Funding Program.

Source: RES-IPE