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Carl Walker, Inc., a nationally recognized consultant in the parking industry, is pleased to announce the completion of the North Parking Deck on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

This attractive brick clad facility contains 1,171 parking spaces, primarily used by residents of the nearby student housing complex. The structural system is cast-in-place, post-tensioned concrete with precast cladding.
UNC Charlotte - North Parking Deck

In keeping with campus architectural standards, the parking deck exterior is comprised of an attractive brick façade. In a first for the university, the brick elements were cast into the precast spandrels greatly reducing labor costs and enhancing durability.

The cascading grand stair in the front of the deck provides an efficient means of egress and an attractive architectural element on the broad frontal elevation. Other design features include covered area for bus loading, energy efficient induction lighting, provisions for future access control equipment, convenient one-way drive aisles and angled parking, and white painted ceilings to enhance the user experience.

Carl Walker provided project planning, structural programming, parking consulting, and functional design. The project architectural team consisted of ADW Architects in collaboration with Neighboring Concepts. The North Parking Deck is the third completed parking garage on the UNCC campus for Carl Walker.

Parking technology has finally caught up to our on-the-go culture: pay without paying attention. Researchers have built a device that does for parking lots what radio transponders do for highway tolls. You park, it keeps track.

The near field communications (NFC) system, dubbed Viatag, consists of 0.5 inch by 4-inch RFID windshield tags, parking lot transceivers that read tags, and a central database. The windshield tag signals the parking transceiver as you're entering and exiting a parking lot. A central database tallies your time in the lot and debits your account accordingly.

The tag is unobtrusive compared with bulky highway toll transponders. This is because it's a passive RFID tag--no batteries. Instead it draws power through the air--from radio waves sent by the transceivers.

The technology is a step beyond cashless parking systems that allow you to pay by phone. The problem with these systems is you have to pull out your phone and send a text. Who's got time for that?

Viatag isn't just a research project. The Fraunhofer Institute in Germany developed the technology for the German company motionID technologies. It's installed Viatag in parking lots in Essen, Duisburg, and Munich.

New Marketplace Lets Home & Business Owners Profit From Under-Utilized Parking Spots and Helps Drivers Save Money... NEW YORK, NY - ParkatmyHouse, the world's largest marketplace for renting parking spaces, today launched its Web-based service in the U.S. This new service brings new moneymaking opportunities to home and business owners and money-saving opportunities to drivers. Backed by BMWi Ventures, a fund focused on investing in mobility services, the company is creating an entirely new marketplace in the U.S. for the renting of spots, not only at homes, but at parking lots, offices and even places of worship. Typically, homeowners and business owners have valuable parking spots that go unused most of the day when they could be moneymaking real estate assets. As urban sprawl continues to take place in major metro areas, ParkatmyHouse plans to realize the value of these assets by connecting property owners with drivers. In the U.K., where ParkatmyHouse first launched, the service has already earned homeowners more than $5 million. "We're not talking about a few bucks," said Anthony Eskinazi, CEO and founder of ParkatmyHouse. "Property owners with decent spots can make thousands every year. If people are curious, our website has a quick and easy tool to show what their or a friend's spot might be worth. We've had huge success in the UK and we've seen how this service can really make a difference to people's lives, particularly in this economy." ParkatmyHouse is rolling out immediately across all East Coast metropolitan areas, including New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. The service hopes to attract commuters who struggle to find parking near stations as well as sports and music fans looking to park around stadiums and concert halls. Not only will ParkatmyHouse list spots in areas of chronic shortage, the company provides a cost-savings alternative to metered parking and parking lots -- with some people saving up to 70%. "It's not just about convenience and stretching your dollar," adds Eskinazi. "ParkatmyHouse saves drivers time who would otherwise be circling for a spot and wasting fuel. Ultimately, the service cuts traffic and pollution at the same time. This is truly a smarter way to park."