Donostia / San Sebastián is developing an advanced and progressive process of urban parking digitalisation, supported by smart parking technologies, real-time data, and a strategy clearly aligned with the city’s sustainable mobility objectives. This approach enables parking management to be transformed into an intelligent, measurable and scalable system, capable of delivering positive impact from the earliest stages of the project.
Unlike more rigid implementation models, the strategy adopted by the City Council is based on a phased rollout, facilitating technical validation, reducing operational risk, and enabling data-driven decision-making. The entire deployment is carried out with the support of a leading technology partner such as EYSA, responsible for overseeing implementation within the regulatory and operational framework of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ).
Urban parking digitalisation strategy in Donostia
The City Council has committed to intelligent parking management based on connected technological solutions that optimise the use of public space, reduce congestion caused by searching for parking, and improve the experience for both drivers and municipal managers.
In this context, Urbiotica participates as EYSA’s technology provider, delivering its parking detection, guidance and control system. This technology is designed to efficiently manage, through data, the different types of regulated parking spaces across the city, from high-turnover areas to reserved spaces with specific requirements.
The deployed solution combines occupancy sensors, applications for authorised users, and real-time information panels, integrating directly into the project’s daily operations. This approach transforms data into a practical tool for urban planning, enabling faster, more transparent decision-making aligned with public mobility policies.
Smart parking pilot project in the Chillida area
The first step in this digitalisation strategy was the development of a smart parking pilot project on a cul-de-sac located next to the well-known Chillida sculpture. This urban setting included 126 parking spaces, making it a controlled and suitable environment for validating the system.
During this phase, a guidance system with an information panel was deployed, capable of displaying real-time parking availability before entering the area. The main objective was to anticipate occupancy, allowing drivers to make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary access to a complex traffic zone.
Thanks to this prior information, unnecessary manoeuvres, search times and congestion in a particularly sensitive urban space are reduced. In addition, this pilot confirmed the technical reliability of the detection sensors, as well as their ability to integrate with existing management systems. The experience gained laid the groundwork for subsequent phases of greater scale and complexity.
Digitalisation of accessible parking spaces with open data and real-time monitoring
In the second phase of the project, the focus shifted to the digitalisation of regulated parking for people with reduced mobility (PRM). A total of 353 PRM spaces were equipped with sensors, with a clear objective: to obtain reliable data on actual occupancy and generate verifiable usage statistics.
This information is published through a municipal data portal, providing access to both citizens and city managers. This open data model promotes more transparent, evidence-based management, enabling the identification of usage patterns, unmet needs, or potential misuse.
Beyond improved oversight, this phase delivers medium- and long-term strategic value, allowing assessment of whether the distribution and sizing of PRM spaces truly reflects demand, thereby contributing to more inclusive and efficient urban planning.
Guided to the parking lot
Intelligent management of loading and unloading within the LEZ
The third phase of the project, currently being deployed and expected to become operational throughout 2026, expands the system’s scope by incorporating intelligent management of more than 230 loading and unloading bays. This rollout takes place within the Low Emission Zone, strengthening access control and ensuring appropriate use of these regulated areas.
The technological solution includes:
- Per-space detection sensors
- An app for authorised users to declare parking activityApp para la declaración de estacionamiento por parte de usuarios autorizados
- An automatic alert system for misuse, integrated with municipal control systems
Sensores de detección por plaza
This combination of technologies enables real-time monitoring, improves operational efficiency, reduces non-compliant behaviour, and optimises turnover of commercial vehicles in key urban areas. This type of management is particularly relevant in LEZ environments, where balancing economic activity and sustainability is critical.
Data-driven monitoring of taxi ranks
Within this same phase, the monitoring of 134 taxi ranks across the city is also being implemented. The main objective is to obtain reliable data on real usage, frequency, and time-based patterns, avoiding decisions based solely on estimates or perceptions.
The data generated will allow the City Council to make better-informed decisions regarding the configuration, location, and sizing of these areas, aligning them with actual service needs. This improves the operational efficiency of the urban transport system while optimising the use of public space.
Centralised urban parking management platform
All systems deployed in Donostia are integrated with ParkExplorer, EYSA’s urban parking management platform. This tool acts as a central hub from which real-time occupancy can be monitored, alerts managed, statistics analysed, and different types of parking operated through a single interface.
This journey—from a localised pilot to an advanced city-wide smart parking platform—reflects a coherent, scalable and data-driven strategy. Donostia is not only embracing technological innovation, but doing so with a clear smart city vision designed to enhance both user experience and operational efficiency for public managers.
Looking to digitalise parking management in your city?
If you are responsible for mobility, urban planning or urban innovation and are considering how to digitalise urban parking, this type of project enables gradual, measurable progress aligned with sustainability and operational efficiency goals.
Sensor-based smart parking solutions supported by real-time data enable more effective management of regulated parking, reduce congestion, and provide key insights for strategic decision-making.
Si tienes un proyecto similar o estás explorando cómo mejorar la gestión del aparcamiento en tu ciudad, estaremos encantados de ayudarte a identificar la solución más adecuada para tu contexto urbano.
📩 Escríbenos a [email protected] o solicita una demo sin compromiso.
Head of Marketing and Communications at Urbiotica
Leads the marketing and communications function at Urbiotica, driving brand visibility and the international growth of its smart parking and sustainable mobility solutions. Designs and implements strategies that generate qualified demand and support the partner network in more than 50 countries. Focuses on translating the company’s technological innovations into clear, relevant messaging for public administrations, system integrators, and private companies, positioning Urbiotica as a global leader in smart cities.
