Urbiotica: Sitges Digitalizes Its Regulated Parking With Smart Parking Technology

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 11:28 AM

Finding a parking space is only part of the challenge. To manage regulated parking effectively, cities first need to understand what is actually happening in each space.

With this goal in mind, Sitges City Council has digitalized 431 regulated parking spaces with a new Smart Parking system that provides real-time occupancy information, informs drivers about parking availability, and delivers accurate data on how parking spaces are being used.

The project, funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU program, was developed with Dinycon as the system integrator, Relsa responsible for installation, and Urbiotica providing the Smart Parking technology.

Knowing what is happening in each parking space

The starting point was to obtain accurate, real-time information on the use of regulated parking.

To achieve this, 431 Urbiotica U-Spot M2M sensors have been installed in the road surface and connected via NB-IoT. Each sensor detects the presence of a vehicle in an individual parking space, providing a real-time view of occupancy across the monitored areas.

But knowing whether a space is available or occupied is only the first step.

As data accumulates, the system also provides insight into how parking is being used: which areas experience the highest demand, how occupancy changes throughout the day, how long vehicles stay, and the turnover rate of each space.

Bringing parking information to the street

An important part of the project was ensuring that this information was not only available to parking managers.

Occupancy data feeds two Urbiotica variable message signs (VMS) that show drivers parking availability across the monitored areas. The signs are also equipped with solar power systems supplied by Urbiotica, allowing real-time information to be displayed without requiring a connection to the electrical grid at the installation point.

In this way, the information detected by each sensor in the road becomes useful information for drivers looking for a place to park.

The same data, from a different perspective

While drivers see parking availability, the City Council gets a much broader view of how regulated parking is being used.

All information is centralized in U-Admin, Urbiotica’s Smart Parking platform, where parking space status can be monitored and occupancy, turnover, and length-of-stay data can be analyzed.

This means that a single piece of data — the occupancy status of each parking space — can serve different purposes: helping drivers find parking, supporting day-to-day operations, and generating insights into how available parking space is being used.

Exploring new ways to detect parking occupancy

Alongside the main deployment, Sitges City Council is also testing U-Spot VISIO, Urbiotica’s technology for monitoring the occupancy of multiple parking spaces using cameras.

Two cameras have been installed to validate the solution under real-world conditions.

This trial, which is independent of the main project, will help explore the technology’s potential and assess its suitability for future parking needs.

Better information for better parking management

The Sitges project starts with one essential piece of information: knowing whether each parking space is available or occupied. The value of that data increases when it is used to address different city needs.

In real time, it can help drivers find parking and support the management and enforcement of regulated spaces. As data accumulates, it also helps the city understand how parking is being used, identify patterns, and make better-informed decisions based on objective data.

That is the real step towards smarter parking: moving from simply managing parking spaces to managing them with data.

With this project, Sitges is integrating data into the day-to-day management of its regulated parking while building a foundation to continue evolving its Smart Parking model.

About Urbiotica

Urbiotica is a technology company specialized in smart parking and mobility solutions for cities and complex urban environments. With a strong focus on IoT, artificial intelligence, and data analytics, Urbiotica helps public authorities and parking operators improve traffic flow, optimize parking operations, and enhance the overall user experience. Its solutions are deployed in cities and facilities worldwide, supporting data-driven decision-making for more efficient, sustainable, and accessible urban mobility.