It’s a fascinating topic in a variety of contexts. But for us, the most compelling thing to watch may be how this new age of driverless cars will impact parking in cities like Chicago. Join us for a discussion on the evolution of autonomous driving, the continued (but changing) needs for parking spots, and a look at what the future may hold.

Some Definitions to Start

One of the most difficult aspects of discussing this topic tends to be the various terms. It’s tempting, for example, to consider driverless, autonomous and connected interchangeably. In reality, though, the differences between these terms are subtle but important:

• Connected cars. The first step of the driverless evolution is already in existence today. Connected cars communicate both with the driver, and with other cars on the road to improve safety for all. Features include brake and parking assistants, real-time route calculations, and more.
• Autonomous cars. As the name suggests, autonomous vehicles can navigate most everyday traffic situations on their own. Drivers can and should still interject as needed, but in well-known traffic areas, Tesla (and a handful of other cars) can already drive relatively well on their own.
• Driverless cars describe the potential end point of the technology. They are connected to a larger network, and can drive entirely on their own; in fact, they won’t require a driver at all. Google’s Waymo prototype is the closest we have gotten to this technology so far.

The State of the Driverless Market

We’re at an exciting but also uncertain point of the driverless explosions. As mentioned above, only prototypes of the above-mentioned final step of the process exist. At the same time, the technology is now advanced enough that within a few years, driverless will move from a novelty to a well-known (if expensive) alternative.

In fact, some estimates put the sales of fully autonomous vehicles at $6 billion and partially autonomous vehicles at $36 billion by 2025. Experts believe that by 2030, we should see an adoption rate of at least 30% among car-owning consumers.

We’re not there yet. In fact, a recent survey showed that almost half (49%) of motorists in the UK are not interested in the technology. Given the benefits of driverless cars, from safer roads to traffic efficiency, that number will begin to drop as the technology becomes more easily available. In the meantime, it’s up to startups like us to determine just how this fast-growing market will impact parking, especially in urban areas like Chicago.

The Need for Parking in Crowded Areas

Anyone familiar with Chicago parking apps of any kind is already familiar with a problem shared by countless others in metropolitan areas. Parking is an annoying complication of everyday life. In addition to countless local news stories outlining the issues, Chicago has actually been named the Worst Place to Park a Car based on both high cost and low availability of spots. Other metropolitan areas, of course, are not far behind.

And yet, parking is crucial. If you own a car, you need to find a place for it. Given that the average car is idle 95% of the time, the parking spot should be a crucial consideration for any vehicle owner.

At the same time, lack of space is not necessarily a problem. A recent study found that the United States has roughly 1 billion parking spots, four times as many as vehicles existing in the country today. Lack of space is not the issue; finding the right parking spot quickly and easily is.

That’s what makes markets like Chicago so perfect for parking apps and startups like ours. We help homeowners, property managers, and REITs take advantage of the space they already own, while providing better parking possibilities for drivers. Driverless parking will change that dynamic, but it will not eliminate it.

Evolving Parking Needs in the Age of Driverless Cars

Driverless cars will streamline traffic, and improve convenience for all that take advantage of it. The need to own your own vehicle will be reduced, and with less cars on the road, fewer parking spots will be necessary. As researcher Alain Kornhause told PC World last year,

“the biggest impact (of autonomous vehicles) is going to be on parking. We aren’t going to need it, definitely not in the places we have it now… If I go to a football game, my car doesn’t need to stay with me. If I’m at the office, it doesn’t need to be there. The current shopping center with the sea of parking around it—that’s dead.”

It’s a natural conclusion: if you don’t own a car, you don’t have to worry about parking it. But at the same time, these cars still need a space where they can be kept until they’re needed again. Parking is still necessary; just different.

For starters, as ChicagoInno points out, transportation needs will need to be customized depending on their audience. A high-profile real estate developer, for example, will probably require a different service (and car) than a college student just trying to get to campus. That degree of customization will require a higher number of individual self-driving cars, available to a multitude of audiences at short notice.

Especially if you’re renting out your parking spot through an app like ParqEx, driverless cars could present another opportunity. Now, you can rent the space not to individuals, but to autonomous vehicle companies looking to ‘store’ their cars before the next trip. Ideal parking spots would likely be in residential areas, making your spaces a perfect base for their needs.

A Long-Term Solution to a Persistent Problem

We’re not there yet. Autonomous driving has captured the headlines consistently over the past few months and even years, but has not yet reached a point of go-to-market readiness for the transportation area. And even when it does, adoption will be slowly, and we may not get to see a 100% adoption rate of driverless cars for another 80 years.

But at the same time, the technology is undoubtedly advancing. Google and Uber are expanding their test markets, and Tesla is already rolling out semi-autonomous platforms on all of its vehicles. If you’re planning to monetize your space for parking spots, understanding the future of this technology is crucial for long-term viability.

Parking, especially in urban areas, is a problem. The bad news for car owners, and the good news for you if you’re renting out space, is that it won’t stop being a problem anytime soon. As long as people want to visit your area, they’ll need parking spots, whether that be for their own vehicles of the driverless alternatives that got them there.

And when that happens, you can monetize the opportunity with a connected car app like ParqEx. In fact, our Private Parking Marketplace allows you to make money from your vacant space if you have it, or easily find parking alternatives if you need them. Contact us to learn more and sign up.

The post The Evolution of Parking in a World of Driverless Cars appeared first on ParqEx.

The High Cost of Parking 

One of the most common complaints of people in large urban areas, whether tourists, business travelers, or locals, is that there’s a lack of parking. Parking that’s available is often very expensive – ranging anywhere from $25 a day in Chicago to $65 a day. For condo owners, parking spaces can cost a fortune. A Center for Neighborhood Technology report reveals that, in Chicago, the cost to build a personal parking spot can be more than $37,000 – and purchasing a parking space to own can cost over $50,000 in some of Chicago’s high-rise condo garages. Similar situations exist in other large cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The absurd truth is that parking spaces cost more than some people earn in a year. This means that, in many cities, only the affluent can afford adequate parking.

The exorbitant cost of parking often makes it difficult and impractical to build new parking spaces. Quite simply, many communities can’t afford to provide more parking. One study of 12 American cities found that the average cost to build a parking space is $24,000 for above-ground and $34,000 for below-ground spaces. These prices assume that the owner already owns the land. Because of this, residents ultimately pay the costs of new parking facilities. This is one of the causes of rising rents, even for people who don’t own cars. So-called free parking is not a solution. Access Magazine reports that free parking requirements raise the cost of housing and reduce density. In other words, the cost is invisible but people are still paying it. And according to CNT, the supply of parking in 4 cities (Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Seattle) far exceeds demand. Buildings offer two spots for every 3 units, and in reality (due to the ~33 percent average vacancy) they only need one for every three.

The Environmental Impact of Parking

When people talk about the environmental costs of automobiles, they’re usually talking about moving vehicles. Parking, however, creates its own environmental problems. For one thing, the current parking model is extremely wasteful. People are paying high fees for spaces they only need during certain hours. The above-cited CNT report found that one-third of off-street residential parking spaces are empty at night. If the average person uses these spaces for work, that means that they only need the space for 40-50 hours per week. In a world where, particularly in large cities, there’s a lack of space for affordable housing, this is a significant issue.

There’s also the fact that free parking encourages people to drive. When downtown areas, for example, provide lots of parking access, people who might otherwise take a bus, tram, or train are more likely to drive. A study by Chris McCahill of the State Smart Transportation Initiative found clear evidence that excessive parking causes more driving. This not only means that people with cars tend to drive more, it also influences people’s decisions to own a car at all. In urban areas with extensive public transportation, owning an automobile is often a choice rather than a necessity. More driving, of course, creates a variety of environmental problems, such as air pollution. There’s also the less measurable factor of stress that accompanies traffic jams, which impacts public health. And according to Donald Shoup’s study released in 2011 titled Free Parking or Free Markets, 30 percent of cars in congested downtown traffic are searching for parking. If these “searches” booked their parking in advance, traffic and pollution would be substantially reduced and time and gas would be saved.

It’s safe to say that the current parking paradigm is outdated and full of serious problems. The solution is not to build more parking garages. It’s similar to the supposed solution of building more roads to control traffic. Evidence shows that more roads lead to more traffic. The same is true for parking. What’s needed is a completely new way of handling parking.

The Parking Alternative

Companies like ParqEx, SPOT and JustPark use the Airbnb model to address the urban parking challenge. The basic idea behind all sharing or collaborative economy platforms is to provide services as needed in a fast and efficient manner, by using technology. Consider the difference between the hotel model and the Airbnb model. A hotel has a static number of rooms, whether anyone is using them or not. Meanwhile, Airbnb lets travelers rent space in people’s homes as an alternative to hotels, motels, and B & Bs. In addition to providing people with cheaper rooms, this reduces the need for more hotels and allows people to make some supplemental income.

One major benefit of this type of arrangement is the convenience for consumers, who simply order services by using an app. With these sharing economy “marketplace” apps, users simply search for a parking space and book the spot directly from the app. Not only does the renter gain access to more affordable and convenient parking, but he/she knows there is a spot waiting for them upon arrival. While companies such as SpotHero and ParkWhiz are primarily aggregators of commercial parking garages in downtown areas, the Airbnb model approach allows for individuals, businesses, churches, schools, anyone with a private parking spot(s) to list them on the app/website by the hour, day, week or month – whenever the spot(s) is available. Not only are parking spot owners making supplemental income from their underutilized parking spots, but they are helping their communities by opening up more parking supply in the neighborhood.

With many private parking spots being located behind garage doors or gates, ParqEx differentiates itself from its competitors with its innovative IoT solution called Access+. The Access+ system allows renters and approved users to open any garage door or gate with a click of a button on their smart phones. Implementing Access+ increases rental opportunities, improves transparency into garage usage, and provides great convenience for both owners and renters.

From a parking spot owner perspective, sharing economy parking apps provide a new source of income. Most owners are renting out spaces they already have, so they’re earning money on space that was previously unused. Owners can set their own prices, however, prices are generally lower than commercial parking lots or garages. This is generally true of Airbnb or other sharing economy models of business (like Uber vs. Taxis). Owners and renters engage with each other directly, eliminating the middleman. Since the service providers are not corporations and are using property (e.g. living space, vehicle, or parking space) that they already own, they can afford to set reasonable prices.

How The “Airbnb Model” is Transforming Parking

There are some significant benefits to society as this Airbnb of parking model becomes more and more mainstream.

Faced with a variety of challenges, urban planners are increasingly looking for ways to create “smart cities.” This involves collecting lots of data and finding innovative solutions to issues such as housing, transportation, crime, and other social issues. In some cases, the best solutions don’t require an expensive, centralized solution. ParqEx, SPOT and JustPark provide a smart parking alternative that only requires owners and renters to install an app. Some of the long-term benefits of using this type of smart parking include:

• More affordable, convenient parking for commuters, travelers, and city residents.
• Less need for additional parking facilities.
• More efficient use of resources may lead to less driving and traffic congestion.
• As more people use the app, even conventional parking options are likely to become easier, with less crowded free parking and lower rates for commercial parking.

The way the public has embraced other sharing economy services suggests that people are eager to find new and innovative solutions. More and more services are disrupting conventional business models. In addition to Uber and Airbnb, there are now collaborative solutions in healthcare, web-based services, and many other industries. It only makes sense that there’s also such an alternative for parking.

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Want to know more about these awesome advancements? If so, you’ve come to the right place! In this article we will explore three of the most exciting new trends in vehicle technology, how they might affect your day-to-day life, and how they’ll change your habits for the better in the near future.

Vehicle Communication

After a long 12 years of research, vehicle-to-vehicle communication will officially hit the market this year via the 2017 Cadillac CTS. While the technology will be extremely limited at first due to a lack of similarly equipped vehicles on the road to “talk” to, it will still give the driver some advantages, such as communicating with certain traffic lights.

Moreover, it will pave the way for even more of this incredible new technology in the future, which will eventually have the ability to prevent accidents through the use of cameras and other information-gathering systems and an advanced wireless car-to-car communication system.

While it may take a while to grow to that point, Cadillac is taking the most important and most difficult baby steps in the right direction.

Autonomous Driving

As proven by Tesla, Uber, and a few other companies in 2016, self-driving cars are here to stay. Not only that, but they are set to make some big advancements this year.

For instance, Volvo will be releasing 100 autonomous cars onto Swedish roads in the next year in order to 1) give the public a chance to experience a ride without a driver, and 2) test this new technology in the quest for a “death-proof vehicle”. The company hopes to make this ultra-safe car available to the public by the year 2020.

Additionally, companies such as Ford, GM, and BMW will be releasing self-driving fleets of their own. Finally—and most impressively—Tesla is scheduled to send a self-driving car on a trip from New York to LA before year’s end.

Improved Electric Cars

As if self-driving cars aren’t cool enough, it looks like 2017 will be a big year for electric cars as well. Hopefully this advancement signals the beginning of the end of our dependence on fossil fuels, and a step toward a greener, brighter tomorrow.

Not to be outdone by the Nissan Leaf—which was upgraded last year and now boasts an impressive 107-mile range—Chevrolet has announced that its new Bolt EV will have an increased range of up to 200 miles. This is an incredible step in the right direction for electric vehicles, as the longer range makes them a far more practical option. Additionally, the Ford Focus Electric will become a 100-mile car, meaning those looking for a lower-priced option will not be disappointed with the range possibilities in their budget category.

Smart Parking

Clearly, vehicle manufacturers have seen just how important it is to keep up with the demand for newer and more efficient technology. We at ParqEx have seen the light as well, and we’re taking steps to make parking easier than ever through the use of “internet of things” technology. We hope to work with car manufacturers toward an ultimate goal of less traffic congestion and a hassle-free driving experience for all.

Are you interested in learning more about Using Internet of Things and new trends in parking technology? Please have a look around our website or contact us with questions. After reading more about us, we are sure you will want to sign up for an account right away in order to take full advantage of our peer-to-peer sharing platform and our amazing new technology.

The post Technology is changing the auto industry appeared first on ParqEx.

This isn’t to say that all hardware, paper, and analog systems will be completely eliminated, rather, they’ll be reduced and minimized. SaaS, PaaS, and emerging subscription software are allowing SMBs to streamline, expand, and improve the quality of their work and production – this is hard to ignore.

The sharing economy develops and uses these innovative cloud and mobile computing tools, as a way to solve complex logistical issues and add incentive for entrepreneurs. ParqEx’s mobile app solution is a good example of how powerful these ideas can become.

Another example is an IoT parking solution CloudParc, which utilizes surveillance cameras in cities to detect off-street parking vacancies. This would eliminate parking meters, working through API communications between IoT technologies to reach users through a mobile app.

Denver is now partnering with Park Mobile and Parkifi sensors to create an app that can detect available parking spots in the city-owned surface lots;  both smart meters and surface lots in Denver can then be paid for with a credit card through the mobile app.

Reducing Parking Woes in Cities by Creating Incentive

The IoT is always involved when speaking about smart anything, and almost all technology is smart at this point. Smart parking garages are using monitoring devices to detect vacant spaces, then automatically sharing the data to their own systems and any specified partners.

For instance, the parking garage business may want to automate real-time updates of vacancies to the city’s tourist guide mobile app, or event centers’ apps might want their customers to have access to available spaces during games from ParqEx, etc.

Smart cars, traffic lights, and other IoT devices and systems, are all using the power of cloud and mobile computing to develop and package their services, which then work to solve complex parking woes by creating incentive for entrepreneurship.

Using the ParqEx mobile app for free, drivers can find parking spots in the area and for the time desired, then facilitate the communications and transactions from the secure and easy to use dashboard interface on our mobile app – the desktop version is designed for streamlined management as well.

The incentive is easy to understand, because renting out a vacant parking space through ParqEx is easy and automated forthe most part. Owners of well-located parking spaces now have a method to make hundreds (if not thousands) every month with their one space. Times this by having 5 or 10 spaces, and one can see the opportunity and incentive.

So, what happens is, ParqEx facilitates the connection and transaction for end users for a small percentage (20%). Space owners keep 80% of the parking fee, and users can use the app for free to find and rent parking spaces all across the country.

When thousands of parking spaces open up in a city, traffic congestion is sure to be alleviated and reduced. As cities get smarter and sharing economy services become more visible, parking woes in cities will be significantly reduced.

The part that makes this doubly beneficial is that during the process of logistical parking and traffic improvements, entrepreneurs will be: making money, developing new services and products, and investing further into the economy.

Summary

The sharing economy is using technology in ways that make sense for users. The advantages and opportunities that innovative cloud and mobile technologies offer, are promising to solve parking woes and boost the local economy at the same time. Before, solving parking woes would have meant building more parking spaces, which means cities and/or businesses had to spend money, therefore making tax payers and consumers pay for it.

With ParqEx, the city and business leaders don’t have to build extra parking spaces at their own expense, rather they can work together with sharing economy companies to increase the supply of rent-able parking spaces in the city. Technology is helping increase the utilization of spaces and opening up new ones from private owners.

It’s hard to imagine large cities being nearly free of traffic congestion, yet this very well may be achieved in the soon future. Mass transit, smart cars, remote workers, smart parking, smart carpooling, smart traffic lights, and more IoT technologies are working toward achieving this ideal goal. Reducing parking woes by creating incentive is how ParqEx is helping. If interested in learning more please contact us today.

The post How the IoT is Reducing Parking Woes in Cities by Creating Incentive appeared first on ParqEx.

One of the most amazing things this data could do for us would be to predict to the rise and fall of crowd levels in any given location.

This newfound ability would be profound in that it would provide cities the opportunity to cater to the needs of rising numbers of people in a particular place. For instance, an area that is predicted to see a sudden spike in residents could be prepared with places to acquire food and drink, as well as additional security measures. Moreover, buildings and outdoor spaces could be designed in such a way as to better accommodate and control crowds.

Crowd and population prediction is an enormous step in the right direction and could help communities around the world better distribute their resources. This is something that will become more and more important as the population grows and resources become more scarce.

Besides food and drink, another resource that could be better distributed based on this data is space. As populations grow, land becomes harder to come by. From new apartments and houses to additional parking lots, land is snatched up left and right, and the new homes and parking spaces are filled more quickly than they can be built.

One way to help alleviate this problem is through the use of big data and smart city design. If we had a way to predict where people would need and want to be in the near future, we could add living spaces as well as parking spaces in the places they will be needed most. Obviously, this would reduce the number of issues we see with lack of living and parking space.

ParqEx is a perfect example of a business that is set up to take full advantage of this smart city data and provide people with what they need, when they need it. With the right data and predictive systems, ParqEx would have the ability to relieve parking issues by adding parking solutions in the neighborhoods and other parts of cities that need them most.

Additional parking would solve more than one problem. In addition to opening up more options for the growing crowds, it would also relieve traffic congestion that is so often caused by individuals searching — sometimes in vain — for a decent place to park. This is due to the fact that parking places found on ParqEx are found and reserved online, therefore completely removing the searching aspect of parking a vehicle.

As we move into the future, it will be interesting to see where data-driven smart cities will take us. The ease of parking offered by ParqEx and improved flow of traffic in public spaces are just the beginning of what could happen should we continue to improve upon the idea of the smart city. Who knows? The smart city may be just what we need as we move into the future of our world.

If you are interested in putting ParqEx to work, or if you would like to learn more about how we believe we could use big data and smart cities to the advantage of our customers, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to chat about the future of both our business and the world.

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On Wednesday, January 25th, Tech in Motion , in conjunction with National Association of Realtors, hosted a panel event: Smart City – IoT in Chicago.

Some of the city’s top technologists will be demoing and then speaking on a panel about their innovative work – with hopes to transform Chicago into a smarter city in the future.

You’ve probably heard of products like Google Home, Amazon Echo and Nest Thermostat, all of which are products that connect to the internet to make life easier and the home a lot smarter. The IoT Smart City Chicago will provide an in-depth look at some of the technology trends inside creating a smarter city: energy efficiency, environmental quality, traffic, safety, increasing return on investment/home value.

For Tickets: Click HERE

Keynote Speaker

Brenna Berman – Chief Information Officer at City of Chicago – Department of Innovation & Technology

Chicago Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) Commissioner and CIO, Brenna Berman joined the Emanuel administration in 2011 as Deputy Budget Director focused on enterprise initiatives and performance management.  After a year in that role, Brenna transitioned to DoIT as 1st Deputy Commissioner to focus on enterprise IT consolidation and operational excellence.

Over the past year at DoIT, Berman has focused transforming the team at DoIT to align with the Mayor’s commitment to an open and data-driven government, building Chicago’s open data program into one of the largest in the country, implemented the ground-breaking “WindyGrid” spatial analytics platform into every level of government, integrating advanced analytics and real-time data-driven decision making across the city, and setting a new standard for government IT.

Berman played a critical role in transforming the team at DoIT to provide the skills and expertise to implement the Mayor’s commitment to leveraging data and technology to create a more efficient, effective and innovative City government. This has meant adding new skills to the team to increase the focus on software engineering and analytics, improving the department’s commercial partnerships to drive savings for the City and identifying ground-breaking civic partnerships, including hosting regular meetings with local female tech startup owners.

Moderator

Chad Curry 

As Managing Director for NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Technology, Chad Curry investigates emerging technologies, educates NAR members & the public through presentations, webinars, blogs and podcasts, and manages the development of products for use by members. He’s presented to REALTORS® on the national, state and local levels. Chad is also a Board Member for the Real Estate Standards Organization, where he works to streamline real estate transaction technology.

Currently, Chad’s work is focused on research and development of smart home devices, iBeacons and wearables as well as renewable energies. Specifically, he is investigating how these trends will impact the real estate industry and benefit members. They’ve set up CRTLabs, focused on testing and developing devices for the home to help improve quality of life.  He is a member of the Internet of Things Council and is part of the Research Workgroup. Chad currently lives in Chicago with his family where he enjoys music, art, soccer and travel.

Panelists

Christopher Coté is a software engineer with a passion for hardware.

He is the Lead Lab Engineer for the National Association of Realtors’ R&D Lab, CRT Labs (https://crtlabs.org)

Prior to joining NAR Chris ran his own software development and consulting company.

He was a lead engineer for the Obama 2012 campaign and has helped found and build several startups around the Chicago area.

Christopher has always found himself driven to create sustainable and efficient systems, whether that’s for massive political campaigns, growing food or controlling and monitoring the built world.

This experience has given him a unique insight into how technology and the built world coexist in society today and will continue to evolve into the future.

Jon Thacker, Ph.D., has been working with embedded networking devices for the past 10 years. Recently he joined SparkMeter as the Director or Research and Development, where he is working on the next generation of communication protocols and hardware for their low-cost metering solution. SparkMeter provides a fully managed electrical metering solution for underserved markets with the goal of providing sufficient, robust, and affordable energy for all. Jon is a contributor to RIOT OS, an open source operating system for IoT. Outside of technology, he spends his time racing and instructing on sailboats.

Douglas Pancoast A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Urban Design and Cranbrook Academy of Art, architect Douglas Pancoast has worked for firms including Richard Meier and Partners, 1100 Architect, BlackBox Studio at SOM, and agency.com. His work has been shown in the Chicago-based exhibitions Art in the Urban Garden, Mystique: Space, Technology, and Craft and Speculative Chicago; and in Scale at the Architectural League of New York and the National Building Museum, Washington, DC. His projects have been featured in Architectural Record, Architecture, A.P.+, and The Architectural Review, and in the book Young Architects: Scale. Pancoast has lectured widely on his own work and on the topic of trans-disciplinary education, and has served as a guest critic at such institutions as Columbia University , Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Parsons School of Design.

Current interests include examining how large, public data sets (economic, environmental, social, cultural, civic) are a context for creative practice. Pancoast is a co-investigator for the NSF grant supported Urban Sciences Research Coordination Network, an award meant to build inter-institutional collaborative research capacity around the subject of “big data” for social benefit. Since 2012 Pancoast has been a frequent co-investigator in the newly established Urban Center for Computation and Data (http://www.urbanccd.org/index.php), specifically providing architectural knowledge, and visualization expertise for a network of associated projects groups in Chicago including Open City (http://opencityapps.org/#about). Recent projects include the Array of Things (https://arrayofthings.github.io/) – a city scaled collection of environmental sensors deployed in Chicago providing data on city conditions for the Chicago Open Data Portal.

Derek Eder  is a civic technologist and one of the leaders of the open government community in Chicago. He is founder and partner at DataMade, a company that tells stories and builds tools with data, co-founder of Open City, a collective that makes civic apps to to improve transparency and understanding of our government, and organizer for the Chi Hack Night, Chicago’s premier weekly event for building civic technology with open data.

Vivek Mehra is the CEO and Founder of ParqEx. He’s a visionary with over 18 years of technical leadership experience as a developer, architect, CTO, Director and Founder. Mehra has earned Masters degrees in Information Systems and Management from University of Illinois-Chicago and University of South Carolina, respectively.

He is particularly strong at introducing proven tools, methodologies and processes that have slashed development times, improved quality and increased internal/external customer satisfaction.

Mehra’s deep technical expertise and and hands-on experience architecting and building technology solutions has lead him to two successful startup exits and high-level positions at Fortune 500 Companies.

Mehra hopes to transform Chicago’s real estate scene with ParqEx’s Private Parking Marketplace, as well as its Access+ technology that can open gates and garage doors directly from a smart phone.

Demo Companies

CRT Labs 

The mission of the National Association of REALTORS’® Center for REALTOR® Technology is to track emerging technologies that will affect real estate, educate its members, advocate for the proper use of technology, and innovate when there is a gap between what is needed and what is available. In 2015, CRT established a lab to investigate smart home/internet of things devices, renewable energy, urban agriculture and building materials, as well as any other emerging technologies as they become evident. CRT is working with NGOs, vendors, national laboratories, universities and government agencies to help promote NAR as an agent for technology research and innovation.

DataMade

DataMade was born out of Chicago’s Open Government community. In 2011, Derek and Forest started working on civic technology as volunteers of Open City. At nights and over weekends, they’ve helped make civic apps like Chicago Lobbyists, Clear Streets, and Second City Zoning.

In 2012, DataMade was founded to deepen and sustain the impact of civic technology.

Members of DataMade continue to prototype civic apps under the Open City banner to allow collaboration on open source projects without money or business getting in the way. When asked to re-deploy one of these apps (like Look at Cook), the work is done by DataMade and kept as open source.

DataMade also acts as the fiscal agent for the Chi Hack Night in addition to being a recurring sponsor.

SparkMeter

SparkMeter offers comprehensive low-cost metering solutions for everything from rural micro-grids to existing urban central grid utilities. Our products help make access to electricity possible in hard-to-reach places and underserved markets.

ParqEx

ParqEx – The Private Parking Marketplace – connects people with underutilized parking spots to people looking for parking in busy neighborhoods. Using ParqEx, parking owners are able to rent their parking spot(s) on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis and earn some extra cash. If you have a parking spot anywhere, you can list it on ParqEx in minutes. It’s like Airbnb for parking!

With many private parking spots being located behind garage doors or gates. ParqEx has also developed an innovative IoT solution called Access+. The Access+ system allows renters and approved users to open any garage door or gate with a click of a button on their smart phones. Implementing Access+ increases rental opportunities, improves transparency into garage usage, and provides great convenience for both owners and renters.

*Much of the information used in this blog is courtesy of Tech in Motion*

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Trying to decide which February events you should attend? Here are a few of our favorite free options in the area.

Museum “Free Days”

If you have never visited the Museum of Science and Industry, you are missing out on one amazing hall of knowledge.

Don’t miss out on the incredible experience offered by this museum. Instead, take advantage of free admission on any Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday in February 2017, and explore some interesting and mind-boggling exhibits you won’t soon forget. This is one event you’ll be glad you took the time for!

Chinese Lunar New Year Parade

The Chinese New Year is a very fun and colorful holiday. Why not get in on the fun yourself by attending the Chinese New Year Parade in Chicago?

The parade will be held on February 5th, 2017 from 12pm–3pm at Archer and Wentworth Ave. It will feature eye-catching floats, live music by marching bands, and some incredible traditional dancing. What better way to start a new year?

“Neighborhoods of the World” Events

A collection of family-friendly celebrations to be presented at Navy Pier, the “Neighborhoods of the World” events are a great way to explore various cultures.

The series will begin with a China-centered event on February 12th, 2017. After that, the celebrations will be held weekly on Saturdays through the final event on March 26th. Each Saturday will focus on a different country and feature live music, traditional dancing, cultural cuisine, and crafts from around the world.

Handmade Market at The Empty Bottle

The local Handmade Market is a fun way to spend an afternoon. The February 2017 market will be held on the 11th at The Empty Bottle. It will feature the work of a number of local artists and craftspeople, all of which will be available for purchase.

While many people won’t be able to attend this adorable market without making a purchase, it can make for a free fun day out if you are able to use self-control. (Then again, what fun is that?)

Polar Adventure Days

Looking for some outdoor fun? You might want to look into the Polar Adventure Days offered by the Parks and Recreation Department.

The February Polar Adventure Day will be held on February 25th, 2017. The event is a winter exploration of the new Northerly Island Natural Area. It includes encounters with live animals, winter-themed craft projects, and free hot chocolate. This is the perfect event for kids of all ages!

Need parking for these events? 

Of course, if you are going to attend these events, you will need to consider parking. While some of the activities mentioned may have private parking available to guests, others leave you to fend for yourself. Make sure you are prepared by putting the ParqEx service to use.

ParqEx allows users to find and rent convenient parking no matter where they roam. The parking options available are owned by individuals, meaning you will receive the one-on-one service you deserve with the security of working through a bigger company.

If you are considering using ParqEx to rent parking in the Chicago area, we encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have. It is our goal to ensure you are well taken care of and have a wonderful experience using our innovative new service.

The post Five Free February Events in Chicago appeared first on ParqEx.

Unfortunately, “peace” and “kiddos” don’t always mix. After all, babies will cry, siblings will fight, and toddlers will somehow unroll the entire roll of toilet paper in the 30 seconds that you are not looking, and none of these things lends themselves well to snuggling on the couch to watch a movie. That said, a nice quiet night in isn’t impossible to find when you think outside the box and take advantage of the thriving sharing economy right here in Chicago.

Here is how to get cozy in a comfy, quiet space while still knowing the kids are happy and cared for.

Get a Sitter — The first concern of any parent is always finding a trustworthy sitter. Luckily, Chime by Sittercity makes it quick and easy to find a babysitter with great credentials and no problems passing a background check. Additionally, the app allows you to read reviews left by parents just like you, making it even easier to feel confident in your sitter selection.

Rent a Room — Step two? Finding a place to have your peaceful night in. Luckily, the sharing economy steps in again with a few different wonderful solutions.

Our personal favorite peer-to-peer room rental service is the ever-popular Airbnb, which truly earns all of the praise thrown its way. Find a nice, clean, and—most importantly—quiet place to have your cozy date night while the kids stay safe and comfortable in the familiar environment of their own home.

Find Parking — Of course, booking a room in the Chicago area does not always mean you will have parking to go along with it. For this reason, it is important to find parking before date night arrives. This will ensure you don’t waste your relaxing evening searching for an acceptable parking place.

If you are having trouble finding a spot, be sure to check out ParqEx. This peer-to-peer parking spot rental service makes finding affordable and convenient parking a simple, smooth process that will take all of the stress out of parking.

Dinner Delivered — Nobody wants to cook during their evening of relaxation, and going out for food doesn’t exactly fit the theme of a relaxing evening in. This is where Door Dash steps in to save the day.

This amazing delivery service will deliver your dinner—and dessert, if you wish—to your door from almost any local restaurant for a small fee. This means whether you are in the mood for Chinese, Mexican, or burgers, you can have exactly what you crave, without having to step one foot out the door. What could be more convenient than that?

Line Up Entertainment — Date night just isn’t complete without a bit of entertainment. Whether you and your partner prefer video games, movies, or board games, you are sure to find some great entertainment options available for rent on Zilok. This website allows individuals to rent out items they don’t use on a regular basis in order to 1) reduce the number of material things being made and bought, and 2) make it easier to afford those items you may only use once or twice.

Clearly, anything is possible with the sharing economy, even spending a night snuggling with your partner without the toddler climbing on top of you.

If you would like to learn more about the various ways these types of peer-to-peer sharing companies can improve your life, feel free to have a look around our blog.

Want to know more? Please contact us today. We are passionate about growing this wonderful thing we call the sharing economy, and we love helping people benefit from all of the amazing peer-to-peer companies out there.

The post A Peaceful Night In with the Sharing Economy appeared first on ParqEx.

If you are looking for a way to start living a more eco-friendly life, there are many ways to go about this. Recycling is a great place to start, as is walking whenever possible instead of driving. Another great way to get involved in the green movement is to make yourself a part of the sharing economy.

Let’s face it, we are all a little bit wasteful in our own ways. However, the sharing economy gives folks a way to put their wasteful excess to use. That bicycle that is sitting unused in the garage? Why not rent it out for the neighbor to use? Not only will the wasted item get put to use, but the rental may stop consumerism in its tracks by encouraging the neighbor to borrow instead of buying.

This is just one example of the sharing economy helping to make the world a greener, brighter place. Below we will explore more of the many ways peer-to-peer companies are the more eco-friendly way to go.

Curb Consumerism

As mentioned in the example above, the sharing economy has the ability to curb consumerism—at least to an extent. After all, why would anyone go out and buy an item they will only use a few times a year when they can rent it from a nearby individual for a fraction of the price?

This mindset keeps unneeded items from leaving the shelves, which in turn slows production of such items. Fewer items being produced leads to fewer emissions from factories, fewer resources being used, and less air pollution produced by trucks for moving those items across the country. By slowing the pace of consumerism, peer-to-peer rental companies are a very eco-friendly alternative to purchasing rarely used items from a chain store.

Of course, peer-to-peer sales of material items have the same sort of effect. Therefore, garage sale sites such as Craigslist should always be checked for needed items before heading to the local box store to make a purchase.

Keep It Local

As mentioned before, peer-to-peer rentals and sales help reduce emissions from semi trucks as they carry goods across the country. In addition to the reduced need for trucks, the need for other modes of transportation (such as trains and airplanes) is also reduced, leading to less air pollution and fewer resources used.

Because shopping locally has such a huge effect on the environment, it is always a good idea to try shopping peer-to-peer sites before hitting the stores. In addition to always checking Craigslist and other garage sale sites for clothing, tools, and toys, try finding local farmers for meat, eggs and produce, and local soap makers for toiletry needs. You might be surprised what you can find locally!

Reduce Emissions

We already discussed the fact that emissions from factories, trucks, trains, and planes are reduced by peer-to-peer rentals and sales. However, did you know that vehicle-related air pollution can also be reduced through the use of peer-to-peer ride sharing?

Companies such as Uber and Lyft make it possible for many individuals to live without a car. Of course, without a car, a person is much more likely to walk short distances rather than call Uber to pick them up. This alone reduces air pollution. However, this is not the only way the sharing economy helps reduce emissions from personal vehicles.

Companies who focus on carpooling—such as Commutewise and Zimride—encourage groups of people who are heading in the same direction to share a car. After all, what is the point in driving multiple cars to the same destination? Sharing rides is a great way to reduce emissions and conserve fuel.

On-demand parking apps like ParqEx can also help reduce automobile emissions. Each year will bring upon more drivers and in most neighborhoods and cities, that means a serious parking crunch that is only going to snowball into a bigger problem. But what if, instead of paving more land with parking lots and filling the air with more exhaust as drivers hopelessly look for parking, we could help each other using what we already have? ParqEx believes that the community can share their existing parking spots (and make some supplemental income in the process). You don’t park in your spot all day, so why not list it on ParqEx when you aren’t using it, so that someone who needs a spot can use it?

Create Communities

One of the greatest things the sharing economy can do for our world is help create strong communities. Strong communities are more likely to grow and share food, share rides, share parking spaces (and eliminate the need for new ones to be built), pass unused items on, and work together to be self-sufficient, thus reducing the need for large corporations. Strong communities working together can help make our earth a greener and nicer place to live.

Interested in learning more about the sharing economy? We would be happy to answer your questions! Please contact us today at ParqEx.

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Unfortunately, public transportation is not always exactly timely, making it necessary to leave home much earlier than would be required if personal transportation was available. This can be quite frustrating for those who are often pressed for time, and can even lead to problems at work if a person comes in late on a regular basis.

For this reason, many busy people—even those living in places with excellent public transportation systems—opt to own and drive their own vehicles rather than use the buses and trains available to them.

However, the sharing economy is making the lives of these busy people easier in a number of ways. From car sharing to ride sharing to the ability to rent affordable parking, peer-to-peer transportation options are popping up every day, and people are loving it.

Here are five nifty ways the sharing economy is helping people get around in the most affordable and efficient ways possible.

Ride Sharing

Of course, we all know about Uber and Lyft, the platforms that allow passengers to pay for someone to tote them around in much the same way a cab would. While these services are pretty cool, and are perfect for many occasions, there are also a great number of other ride-sharing programs available that many people aren’t even aware of.

Zimride, for instance, is a fabulous ride-sharing program that offers companies and universities the chance to set up carpooling opportunities for their employees and students. The system is simple to navigate and straightforward to use, and the prices make transportation affordable for everyone.

If your company is not a part of Zimride, but you would like to find a ride to work in the mornings, Commutewise is an excellent option. This site uses its very own social network to connect drivers with riders and make life easier for everyone involved.

Looking for a ride out of state? Openride is the site for you. This peer-to-peer ride-sharing website lets users request and offer long-distance rides in a friendly and safe community. This is the perfect way to make a bit of money during your next road trip, or to take that trip to see grandma for very little money.

Car Sharing

If you prefer to drive yourself from point A to point B, a car-sharing system may be more up your alley. There are a number of peer-to-peer car-sharing sites, and almost all of them are worth checking out.

Turo is one of the most popular car-sharing sites out there. This site has an enormous collection of vehicles listed for rent. These include cars, trucks, and even RVs, among other types of transportation. Vehicles are available in almost every city in the country, and some are even available for delivery.

Getaround, on the other hand, also has a huge number of cars to choose from, but they offer hourly rentals as well. This is perfect for anyone who needs a car for just a few hours while they run a specific errand, and has proven to be quite a popular option among customers.

Parking Sharing

Of course, if you do choose to rent a car and drive yourself around, convenient and affordable parking is going to be on your list of needs.

Luckily, the ParqEx parking-sharing platform is the perfect way to find parking spots in crowded places without breaking the bank. It’s easy to use and allows drivers like you to connect with those who have extra parking spots available, so you can find the best parking at the best prices in no time at all.

Interested in learning more about how the sharing economy can help you get around in your day-to-day life? The ParqEx team would love to hear from you.

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