The “Smart Border Region between the Seas” is a model region as part of the federal funding project “Smart City Model Projects”. The extensive project focuses on measuring visitor flows and sensor measures for parking space management. Implementation of the project is progressing well.
The Smart Cities model project “Smart border region between the seas” is one of the most important projects for digital parking space recording in German municipalities. It includes the installation of over 500 ground sensors to monitor parking space occupancy at various locations and the implementation of 35 camera systems to measure visitor flows in the heavily frequented tourist region. The project is supported by the city of Flensburg and the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Nordfriesland. A total of six locations with tourist hotspots are taking part in the project.
The sensor expansion began in Flensburg city center in February 2024. In the meantime, 41 ground sensors have also been installed in a parking lot near the popular Flensburg beach Solitüde to record the occupancy of the parking spaces. In addition, a camera in another parking lot near the beach monitors vehicles entering and leaving the parking lot. The current parking space occupancy can be viewed via the free “City Pilot” smartphone app.
In the town of Friedrichstadt in Schleswig-Holstein, which is popular with holidaymakers, the search for a parking space is also to be made easier. To this end, 70 ground sensors and a camera system are currently being installed in two parking lots. Locals and guests can then see in real time via an app whether free parking spaces are available. There are also plans to record the number of people in the city using antenna systems, which will be installed on public buildings at six different locations in the city center.
However, the large-scale sensor project does not only offer advantages for those looking for a parking space. Uwe Eisenmann, second deputy mayor of Friedrichstadt, reports that the city can also benefit from the pilot project as a partner in the project. The parking data collected facilitates the planning of additional parking spaces and a parking guidance system. Businesses and the city’s events department can adapt their opening hours and tourist offers to the number of visitors recorded. The measure is intended to give local authorities the opportunity to use information in the form of open data, which they can use to make data-based decisions.
During installation, the parking sensors are bolted directly to the floor of the parking spaces. Occupancy is measured by radar and magnetic field detection, whereby no identification of the vehicles takes place. The optical sensors also ensure that no identification is possible. Visitors are counted using an antenna system that detects Bluetooth devices in the vicinity. According to the digital agency, all processes are fully data protection compliant in accordance with the GDPR.
The data from the floor sensors is transmitted to a data platform via LoRaWAN, while the data from the visitor flow analysis and the optical sensors is transmitted via mobile radio. All collected data is then made publicly accessible via a dashboard.