Shoup might love it or hate it. Rather than allowing the city, neighborhood, or homeowner to profit from unpriced curb parking by establishing a “parking benefit district”, the transient motorist auctions the spot upon departure...on an iPhone!
It's an app that's remarkably similar to the one used by the one-year-old SF Park, but developed by entrepreneurs for the profit of those who use it - sort of like "eBay for free parking". It's 'dynamic pricing' by the free market, not by a pre-determined rate.
"The (Parking Auction) app is simple to use. Drivers - or sellers - readying to leave their parking spot post their general location and time when they'll be leaving their spot on Parking Auction and name a price, say $5.
Meanwhile, the buyers - drivers in search of parking - check Parking Auction and see the spots pop up on a map. They bid, and if a seller accepts, that spot user then sends the buyer an exact location and the make and model of their car."
From Next American City's review of Don Shoup's "High Cost of Free Parking": In a parking benefit district, "residents could still park for free with a permit, but non-residents would have to pay for a permit to park on residential streets. The revenue generated from the sale of permits could fund sidewalk repairs or other improvements to residential neighborhoods."
However, bot apps share the benefit of reducing congestion and pollution by allowing motorists to quickly find an available parking space.
Thanks to Jesse Prentice-Dunn
FULL STORY: App Lets Drivers Sell Public Parking Spots to Highest Bidder
ParkDC to Bring Dynamic Pricing to Chinatown Parking Spaces
The District Department of Transportation is expanding its experiments with dynamic parking prices.
State of Curbs & Parking Report Reveals Glut of Data
As the uses of curb space become more diverse, city officials are working to understand how to best manage this increasingly important urban amenity.
How Cities Use Tech for Curb Management
Curb monitoring technology is helping cities build a growing understanding of the shifting demand for this valuable urban space.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research