Urbiotica: Enhancing Management of Parking Spaces in Loading and Unloading Zones

Optimizing the management of parking spaces dedicated to loading and unloading is crucial for any city's mobility strategy. With the rise of e-commerce, urban policies must focus on facilitating orderly last-mile deliveries and achieving harmonious coexistence among various road users, including pedestrians and vehicles.

Besides the surge in online shopping, urban centers still host traditional businesses that rely on these designated parking areas for their operations. From receiving goods to making deliveries, it is essential that only authorized vehicles use these loading and unloading zones.

However, misuse of these reserved spaces is a common issue, causing traffic problems such as congestion and increased vehicle searches for parking. This misuse, often exacerbated by double parking, creates a ripple effect of traffic jams and delays.

To address these challenges, Urbiotica offers technological solutions designed to prevent the misuse of loading and unloading spaces, benefiting all city residents through improved economic, mobility, and tourism outcomes.

Technological Solutions for Better Management of Loading and Unloading Areas

Technology plays a pivotal role in urban management, particularly through solutions with U-Spot sensors. These flush-mounted, magnetic sensors are autonomous devices that detect vehicle occupancy in designated parking spaces. Additionally, U-Spot VISIO utilizes Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning software to enhance detection through image processing.

How These Technologies Enhance Space Management

Vehicle Detection in Reserved Spaces

The sensors and cameras, which use NB-IoT or LoRaWAN networks, identify vehicles in reserved loading and unloading zones. When a vehicle parks in these spaces, its authorization status is checked. Unauthorized vehicles trigger an alert, prompting the driver to move the vehicle to ensure the space is available for authorized delivery vehicles.

Mobile App for Verifying Authorized Users

A comprehensive solution includes a mobile app that confirms the legitimacy of drivers using these spaces. This app ensures accurate identification of authorized users, reducing errors and ensuring only qualified vehicles park in these zones.

The app also provides information on how much time remains before the space is needed by another driver, helping to optimize working time and improve transporter productivity.

Real-Time Guidance for Hauliers

The guidance app is another tool that enhances parking space management. It provides real-time guidance to drivers, directing them to available loading and unloading spaces.

This reduces the need for drivers to search for parking, leading to cost savings and lower environmental impact from reduced vehicle traffic. The app also helps reduce stress, congestion, noise pollution, and improves overall urban life quality.

Efficient Monitoring and Control

An essential aspect of managing loading and unloading zones is effective monitoring. By detecting misuse, including unauthorized use and overstaying, real-time alerts can be sent to wardens. This system not only optimizes control routes but also reduces operational costs and encourages better use of parking spaces, leading to improved overall mobility and user satisfaction.

The Reality of Parking Management in Urban Areas

Implementing these technological solutions addresses the pressing need for better control and efficiency in urban loading and unloading zones. Cities like Castellón de la Plana and Teruel have already seen positive outcomes from such measures. Addressing misuse and traffic chaos improves overall urban mobility and quality of life.

Sustainable Mobility in Spain

The IMSCE 2021 report highlights the need for improved sustainable mobility, with Spanish cities averaging a score of 50.8%. The report, based on 138 indicators across 82 cities, assesses various factors including public transport availability, air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions.

The indicators for mobility service availability and usage, as well as the physical structure of urban areas, reveal that there is room for improvement. Enhanced digital solutions for parking management, especially in loading and unloading zones, are crucial for tackling traffic density, pollution, and overall urban congestion.

At Urbiotica, we believe investing in digital solutions is essential for better managing parking spaces and preventing the collapse of city centers. The technology to address these challenges already exists and has proven to be highly effective.

About Urbiotica

Urbiotica was born in 2008 with the mission to bring the most innovative technology to society through urban environments. Its vision is to help cities become more manageable, efficient, and sustainable, improving the quality of life of its citizens.