Multi-objective optimisation of parking capacities in urban areas

Journal Article (2026)
Author(s)

Tygo Nijsten (TNO, Universiteit van Amsterdam)

Jan Pieter Dorsman (Universiteit van Amsterdam)

Michel Mandjes (Universiteit Leiden, Universiteit van Amsterdam)

Erwin Walraven (TNO)

Maaike Snelder (TU Delft - Transport, Mobility and Logistics, TNO)

Research Group
Transport, Mobility and Logistics
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2026.02.045 Final published version
More Info
expand_more
Publication Year
2026
Language
English
Research Group
Transport, Mobility and Logistics
Journal title
Transportation Research Procedia
Volume number
95
Pages (from-to)
353-360
Event
27th Annual Conference of the EURO Working Group on Transportation, EWGT 2025 (2024-09-01 - 2024-09-03), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Downloads counter
6
Reuse Rights

Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.

Abstract

Cars remain the most widely used mode of transport today. However, in many urban areas, high car usage leads to negative externalities such as congestion, pollution, and inefficient land use. Optimising parking policies in cities is a promising approach to reduce these externalities, though it often involves trade-offs; for example, reducing parking space can increase the time drivers spend searching for a spot. We present a model to optimise parking capacities in urban areas using a multi-objective framework that simultaneously minimises (1) travel time, (2) distance travelled by car, and (3) the number of parking spaces. We address this problem using a bi-level programming framework as parking capacity decisions (upper level) influence driver route and parking choices (lower level), which in turn affect the objective values. Our main methodological contribution lies in enhancing the upper level optimisation through a novel mutation operator, which helps achieve lower objective values. We apply our model to the city of Delft, the Netherlands, demonstrating that a diverse set of solutions with low objective values can be obtained. Moreover, we show through an example within this case study that our model can help policy-makers assess trade-offs in the conflicting objectives.