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TransPark Parking, disrupted Dr Ralitsa Hiteva, from the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex, invites you to reimagine the humble parking space he UKs 2050 net zero greenhouse gas emissions target and the abrupt way in which Covid-19 broke long-established living practices are already leading to radical changes in transport, energy and digital services. How quickly we can make these changes work for us as a society and the extent to which they will deliver value to individuals and communities will depend, among other things, on our imagination and willingness to look beyond and work across silos. I believe parking and parking spaces have a key role to play in the future of mobility, if we reimagine them as spaces of innovation. Parking spaces can be innovation junctions spaces in which diverse technologies are mobilised and in which, as a result of their co-location, interactions and T exchanges occur. In the case of parking, these are transport, energy and digital technologies, to begin with. Take the long view Thinking in terms of parking spaces in this way allows us to focus on the forms of interaction between technologies. In the most simple scenarios, different types can be used in combination, prompting innovation in the individual technologies and the new interfaces between them. A commonly perceived threat to the rate of take-up of electric vehicle (EVs) by households and businesses is that delays in installing EV infrastructure (such as charging points) would leave people and businesses stranded. Thus, in many places emphasis is placed on the speed of installation and meeting current demand. However, this may turn out to be short-sighted and leave us needing radical change further down the line. Focusing entirely on transport and mobility would see us developing EV infrastructure in a piecemeal way, street by street, individual property by individual property. This could create constraints in the energy network, resulting in costly upgrades. It would also continue to produce patchy EV infrastructure across the country. Thinking of parking spaces as junctions of demand in the energy system and ICT networks, on the other hand, can facilitate strategic investment ahead of need. It will provide better signalling to distribution network operators about where to install larger cables and help identify areas where the proactive uprating of cable networks is appropriate. Furthermore, parking can help alleviate constraints on the energy network. The abrupt end of commuting for many and the sharp increase of energy demand at home, have led to issues of resilience at the lower voltage. Creating more interfaces with the energy system and ICT through parking could increase flexibility and resilience at the lower voltage levels, and forge links to the vibrant community energy sector in the UK, creating new revenue streams from parking. Different types of technologies can be used in combination, prompting innovation in the individual technologies and the new interfaces between them TransPark is a research project funded by Transforming Construction Network Plus, which aims to unpack the different types and levels of interoperability between parking, energy, digital and mobility services and the opportunities they create for the development of new business models. For more information about TransPark contact R.Hiteva@sussex.ac.uk 28 britishparking.co.uk PN Jul20 pp28 Uni of Sussex.indd 28 24/06/2020 16:13