As populations continue to rapidly grow and urbanise at an unprecedented rate, cities face mounting pressure to remain liveable and sustainable. Throughout my own career, challenges around modern mobility needs and how they impact the use of urban spaces has been a constant thread in each role I have held.
When working at Zipcar UK , the focus was on lessening the impact of the car through the shared economy and driving vastly increased utilisation rates. At Via , the focus was on the ultimate form of shared mobility and lessening the impact of the car through creating modal shifts to public transport through technology. Now, here at JustPark , our focus is on how we accommodate the vehicles that will continue to exist in the urban environment in the least impactful way possible through the efficient use of space. Parking may not usually top the agenda at urban mobility conferences, but it’s a necessity we can not afford to overlook.
Rapid urbanisation has put unprecedented pressure on inner-city infrastructures and traditional approaches to space management, such as static building use and conventional commuting patterns, are increasingly inefficient in today’s evolving urban environments. The poor management of urban spaces leads to increased congestion, higher pollution levels, and large areas of wasted potential. In fact, inflexibility in how spaces are used affects everything from transport systems to housing availability, making cities less sustainable and less liveable.
Post-pandemic the problem with the traditional uses of space in inner cities, and their inefficiencies have become even more noticeable. As remote working and altered commuting patterns have become the norm, office spaces that were once bustling sat empty for much of the day, while parks and outdoor areas emerged as vital communal hubs. These shifts highlighted the need for a reassessment of how we use urban spaces—cities must adapt to changing demands if they are to remain vibrant and functional.
So, how do we harness technology to create flexibility and optimise urban spaces that help humans live, work and play? Around the world, innovative solutions are paving the way for smarter cities.
In Singapore, as an example, smart infrastructure helps regulate traffic flow without expanding the road network. By prioritising efficiency over expansion, the city has focused on better utilising its existing infrastructure rather than building more. This progressive approach highlights a critical shift in urban mobility: creating efficiencies within the spaces already dedicated to cars rather than adding new infrastructure.
Parking, though often overlooked, is another key element of urban living. By leveraging smart technology and data-driven solutions, cities can optimise parking to ease congestion, improve accessibility, and contribute to broader goals of sustainability and liveability.
Here in Europe, cities in the Netherlands have implemented systems that monitor real-time parking availability and guide drivers to open spaces, reducing congestion and the emissions caused by vehicles circling in search of parking.
Elsewhere, cities like Tokyo have focused on creating the most space-efficient parking systems. Automated solutions, such as stackable and vertical parking systems, maximise the use of limited land, freeing up valuable urban space for other purposes.
Yet one of the biggest opportunities for cities lies in optimising the existing space already dedicated to parking. Across urban areas, vast amounts of parking remain underutilised or restricted to specific groups. Office car parks sit empty at weekends—and increasingly during weekdays—as working patterns evolve. Schools and universities have swathes of parking space left vacant out of term time. By unlocking and sharing these underutilised spaces, we can make parking more efficient and accessible, helping cities to function better.
JustPark is actively working in all of these areas to help our partners make smarter use of their parking spaces. For some, this means generating new revenue streams from existing assets. For others, it’s about creating a better customer experience. For cities, the focus is increasingly on reducing the overall space dedicated to parking by ensuring what already exists is used as efficiently as possible.
Efficient parking systems have a positive ripple effect on urban efficiency. By integrating technology, data, and better management, cities can improve traffic flow and also reclaim underutilised spaces for alternative uses, such as green spaces or cycling infrastructure. Real-time data plays a critical role in this transformation, enabling cities to predict and manage parking demand more effectively. For instance, dynamic pricing models can encourage drivers to park in less congested areas or during off-peak times, reducing traffic and emissions from cars circling in search of spaces.
Space is one of our most valuable resources, and we have the tools to use it more intelligently. Parking is no exception and by adopting smarter parking solutions, we can optimise space usage for the benefit of everyone. Space owners can unlock new revenue streams by monetising underutilised assets, while city planners can ease the burden on overstressed infrastructure. Although parking might not always be a top priority for planners, as cities grapple with the pressures of urbanisation and changing societal behaviours, it cannot be treated as just a mere logistical detail. Instead, by embracing technology it has the potential to play a vital role as we look to shape sustainable, liveable cities for the future.
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