PARISIAN PARKING |
French evolution
Paris is in the process of updating and evolving parking facilities
across the city with the latest innovations in smart technology
Words | Silvia Zarri, Hub Parking Technology, Italy
202 Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2020
Above: Ville de
Puteaux is home to
a large portion of
the Paris business
district. High
demand for parking
inspired the local
authority to seek
a smart solution
to the challenge
of accommodating
both commuters
and visitors
As local governments
embrace the philosophy
of smart mobility for smart
cities, metropolitan areas,
municipalities and busy parking
facilities, they are looking for futureproof
alternatives to their existing
parking equipment that they can
monitor with confidence.
Recently, Hub Parking Technology
was contacted by two different
organizations in the Paris area with
queries about implementing some
of the country’s most progressive
parking programs. These will serve
as a model for other French areas
to follow.
Ville de Puteaux is an extended
municipality located in the western
outskirts of Paris and is home to
a large portion of La Défense, the
Paris business district. Every
day, thousands of drivers – both
occasional users and contract users
– cruise the Puteaux streets trying
to find open parking spots, thus
creating congestion in the busiest
commercial and mixed-use areas of
the Commune. The annual counter
monitored through JMS totalled more
than 24,000 subscribers and 54,000
occasional users.
When determining the optimal
parking management for each of the
seven existing lots across the city, the
municipality faced a three-pronged
challenge: out-of-date technology,
obsolete equipment and insufficient
service. This was exacerbated by
the ever-increasing demand for
baseline-level parking availability
and flexible management.
Delivering simplicity
The goal, as stated by the
management team of the Ville de
Puteaux, was to deliver effortless
access to parking to the thousands
who drive around Puteaux daily,
making it easier both to commute
to work and visit the shops. In
addition, better parking services
would also increase the economic
activity and competitiveness of local
businesses, making the operations
more efficient and more responsive
in terms of service.
A few kilometers from Puteaux
in Neuilly-sur-Seine stands the new
headquarters of Sephora, the French
brand of personal care and beauty
that is present in 34 countries around
the world.
The 15,000m2 building spans
eight levels and has more than 700
employees, most of whom drive to
work. Their transport habits and
preferences might vary over time,
depending on their temporary
assignments, holidays and business
trips, which makes it a challenge to
keep the company parking allocation
and the surrounding city streets free
from traffic. Finding a nearby
parking space can be stressful.
Embracing the digitization of
work and the evolution of urban
mobility and its associated services,
Sephora searched for a flexible
solution with monitoring capabilities
that could align to the dynamism