A fresh idea that comes to contribute to addressing the acute problem of finding a parking space, so that citizens do not waste time and fuel unnecessarily in the city, looking to park their vehicle, is in the implementation phase. It’s about ParkIn system is the main result of a research project, which is implemented by Technical University of Crete and the Indigo research group (Industrial and Digital Innovations Research Group), with the associate professor in scientific charge Giorgos Arabatzis of the School of Production and Management Engineering, and the Region of Attica, with the contribution of the Special Secretariat for Long-Term Planning.

“The daily use of the car has created a series of problems, including the problem of parking, especially in large urban centers, with Athens prominent, but also areas with peculiar characteristics, such as island, touristic cities with a rapid increase in road users their networks due to inbound tourism at times” said Mr. Arabatzis to APE-MBE, who added that “the problem is multifactorial and in this context, the creation of parking spaces that cover the ever-increasing demand is not an environmentally and economically viable option, easily and immediately applicable in a wide range».

Inspired by the fundamentals of sharing, the ParkIn project aspires to reach out to citizens to actively participate in the problem of addressing this persistent problem. “ The “sharing economy” is a term that has been widely used in recent years to describe commercial activity through online platforms where third parties trade with each other, providing access to available or underutilized resources, primarily financially motivated.“, said the head of the research project who pointed out that some well-known examples include renting apartments, hosting travelers, using other people’s cars for a short period of time and using private cars to transport others.

“ParkIn builds on this very approach, extending the culture of sharing to parking. Owners of private parking spaces, and not only, participate by granting their personal space in their home, for as long as they wish, with the possibility of reaping rewarding benefits, such as immediately finding a parking space respectively, in an area they wish or are looking for, or other financial benefits ” pointed out Mr. Arabatzis who pointed out that “at the same time, it achieves the improvement of travel conditions by drastically reducing the time of searching for a parking space, with environmental (reduction of emissions), energy (saving fuel), socio-economic (saving money and free time) benefits».

The ParkIn system consists of an application for smart devices (smart phones, tablets), in which, according to the sharing approach, privately owned parking spaces will be registered, which remain empty during the absence of the owners, but available for prospective interested parties moving in the area. The application will have a direct connection to a digital platform, which, evaluating the data it receives from the application, will present estimates regarding the environmental, energy, economic and social benefits obtained by the user.

“As part of the project, the Parkin system will be tested in an area of ​​high population density (Athens) with a severe parking problem, as well as in an island provincial town (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 immediate monitoring of environmental, energy and financial savings“, clarified Mr. Arabatzis.

The ParkIn system will be developed with the aim of replicability and expansion from different regions (continental, island, large/medium size), leveraging targeted information and awareness actions that will ensure the participation of owners and users, and increase the benefits for citizens , but also the state.

“The problem of parking is tangible and intensifies every day, therefore, proposals and ideas such as the ParkIn system, could yield satisfactory results, immediately, at minimal cost, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, decongesting our cities, reducing atmospheric and sound pollution , but also dealing with the daily hassle of hundreds of drivers in terms of time, cost and stress levels” concluded the person in charge of the research project, speaking to APE-MPE.

The ParkIn project was officially launched in May 2023has a duration of 2 years and is financed by the Green Fund within the framework of Priority Axis 3: Research and Application, of the Financing Program “Natural Environment & Innovative Actions 2022”