Reasons to attend the 20th EPA 2022 Congress
Don’t miss the 20th EPA 2022 Congress – Here’s why!
This year’s Congress will be an exceptionally important event for all of us in the parking industry. After the disruption of the pandemic, rapid change is further disrupting established management models. The impact of that change cannot be overstated. The various congress sessions will examine the effects of the political, technical and business factors that are driving change and highlight the potential challenges and opportunities for the parking sector. The program summary is as follows:
On Monday, 12th September the Congress opens with three plenary presentations:
- The EPA Survey on the state of electric vehicle charging in the EU and opportunities for the parking sector;
- The Green Deal: The European Commission’s view on integrated solutions for dynamic and sustainable urban management;
- Mobility space 3.0: ERTICO’s view of the role of parking in the world of multimodal mobility.
The above topics will be discussed by a panel of distinguished international experts with questions from the delegates. The discussion will focus on the future of parking in the urban mobility scene.
These plenary sessions will set the scene for the next two days when there will be six parallel technical sessions and further plenary sessions.
On Tuesday, 13th September the day gets off to a roaring start with the EPA Awards ceremony.
EPA Awards – This year’s competition received 41 entries from 12 countries showcasing the very best of our sector. The awards ceremony will be a fascinating show as the 18 finalists in the five categories are presented and the winners of the 2021/2022 EPA-Awards are finally announced.
- Session 1 – Smart parking, smart mobility, interoperability issues. The future of sustainable mobility requires interoperability including the integration of parking with the other modes of transport. Adoption of the APDS standard specifications (now the basis of ISO and CEN standards) and APIs will simplify and reduce the cost of data sharing and facilitate the development and introduction of innovative technologies and services in the parking and mobility sectors. This will benefit travellers, as it will allow them to find and pay for parking and related services more easily and efficiently across multiple channels. The session will provide examples of good practice from Europe and the USA. The panel will discuss how data standards can facilitate the integration of parking into convenient, sustainable, multi-modal journeys.
- Session 2 – New business models in parking and mobility. Since COVID, we have seen new trends in the use of public space, for example on-street parking transformed into space for walking and cycling. We are also seeing new planning and transportation policies focussing on decarbonisation, e-mobility and micro co-mobility. These trends have financial consequences for public authorities and private companies. Estimations of those consequences and potential new business models for the parking industry such as mobility service hubs, will be discussed.
- Session 3 – UVARs, Urban Vehicle Access Regulations as relationship between Access & Parking management. Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVAR) control the access of motorised vehicles to urban areas. They are an increasingly important tool in the urban mobility toolbox. There are a variety of types of UVAR with the most common being: Low Emissions Zones (LEZ), Limited Traffic Zones (LTZ) and Pedestrian Zones (PED). How can local authorities integrate UVARs and parking management policies to improve the quality of life in central urban areas for residents and businesses, workers and visitors?
- Session 4 – Curbside management/Urban space Management/Freight Logistics. These emerging topics, along with new mobility services such as bike-sharing, will impact on both on and off-street parking. The curbside should be considered as a new type of real estate asset that needs to be actively managed to reduce congestion and generate revenue for cities. Digital systems as part of Mobility Space 3.0 enable operational interconnectivity and generate dynamic data for guidance, smarter planning, and collection of revenues.
- Plenary session – Parking and Mobility, Infrastructure and Urban Planning. This session examines ways to create the best urban environment for citizens, visitors and local economies given the impact of major developments and local policies. The evolution of car parks into multifunctional mobility service hubs will play a key role. The integration of technology and operations into a truly seamless, customer friendly ‘Mobility as a Service’ in urban mobility and environment will be crucial to achieve strategic goals. Real estate developers and investors, as well as car park owners and operators will be key enablers in the transition to multimodal mobility.
- A special parallel session where Parking Network, in collaboration with EPA, will introduce a selection of upcoming Young Parking Professionals followed by the announcement of the 2022 Award for the Best EPA Young Parking Professional.
On Wednesday, 14th September, we will continue the parallel technical sessions.
- Session 5 – Park4SUMP towards a parking Green Deal. Parking is an essential tool for reshaping urban mobility. Park4SUMP reflects the very best parking strategies in European cities. By changing free parking to regulated (paid) parking, city authorities can optimise the use of valuable public space. Avoiding an oversupply of parking and inner cities full of cars makes cities more attractive. The local economy benefits and road safety improves.
- Session 6 – Automated Valet Parking (AVP) a progress update. The development of autonomous vehicles will undoubtedly impact the parking sector. AVP will soon be with us; much sooner than autonomous vehicles in the public urban area. With AVP the driver leaves the car at the car park entrance and the car drives itself to an available parking space. When the driver returns the car drives itself to the pickup point. This promises to be an eye-opening session with representatives from the automobile sector and a discussion on how this new technology can benefit the parking sector even before AVP cars are widely available.
The Congress will close with a ‘Not to be Missed’ Round Table featuring a prestigious panel of senior parking managers and leading parking specialists discussing the exciting possibilities for the future of our sector and our association.
A huge amount of effort has gone into developing the program for this Congress. I hope that you will find it interesting, useful, stimulating and even exciting!
For more detail, please consult the program.
If you have not yet registered as a delegate, hurry up and do so here.
I am looking forward to seeing you all and being together again in Brussels.
With my sincere regards,
Laurence A. Bannerman
President
European Parking Association
Laurence A. Bannerman
President
European Parking Association
The Congress will focus on the following 5 main topics: Management of urban space, urban attractiveness, New Business models, Parking and Technology, Influencing behaviour to attract approximately 600 attendees and 60 exhibitors.