New apps have the potential to influence a fundamental shift in the political and physical realities of parking according to a recent Next City article.
According to Rachel Dovey, "while certain home- and ride-shares spent 2014 making billions and trending so high on the SEO-meter that the term 'Uber Fatigue' now exists, one area that seems built for this capitalistic repurposing is still surprisingly under-hyped: parking."
Describing parking lots in both commercial and residential settings as the very definition of underutilized space, Dovey surveys the companies looking to make an Uber- or Airbnb-like disruption of the status quo of parking. For instance, "Baltimore-based Parking Panda, recently made headlines for its partnership with Amtrak. Through an app, the company allows drivers to reserve parking in advance, contracting with both large garages and individuals — like those shown in TransForm’s research — with an empty space or driveway. It takes 20 percent of each transaction."
Importantly, Dovey notes how these apps could provide inspire home and business owners to think about parking—and its scarcity—differently.
Read the full story: Airbnb-ifying Asphalt Could Shift Parking Politics
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