Parking space management
Parking space management
This page contains all the key information on the subject of parking space management. The background to this is the examination of the possible introduction of a parking space management system, which was commissioned by the Presidential Board. A final decision on the introduction has not yet been made.
Invitation to the information event
The publication of our current greenhouse gas balance for 2024 shows: The university's total emissions have fallen slightly compared to 2022. This is good news. Nevertheless, they are still higher than the emissions at the start of the assessment in 2019. The area of everyday mobility in particular presents us with a special challenge on the road to climate neutrality. In addition, the use of car parking spaces by external parties is leading to increased parking pressure for employees and students on our premises. For this reason, the introduction of a car park management system management is currently being examined.
We would like to actively involve you as members of the university in this process. Unfortunately, due to illness, the public university digital information event on December 11, 2025, had to be canceled at short notice. We cordially invite you to the replacement event:
Date: Thursday, 15 January 2026
Time: in the morning
Location: online via BBB
Detailed information about the exact time period and an invitation link to BBB will be sent out shortly via a circular email and will also be published here!
At the event, we will provide information on the background to the measure, the current status of detailed planning and the further participation process.
We look forward to discussing this important and controversial topic with you.
Background information
Presidential Board mandate
On 10 December 2024, the Presidential Board decided that detailed planning for a parking space management system should be developed for the University of Oldenburg. Climate Action Management was commissioned to do this in close coordination with Division 4: Facility management. The planning should be geared towards the following goals:
- The reduction of GHG emissions in the area of everyday mobility by reducing the volume of car journeys made by university members
- Examination of the promotion of alternative forms of mobility
- Responsible and efficient use of the university's limited space
Detailed planning is not the same as implementation planning. Too little information is currently available to make a decision on the introduction of a car park management system. These gaps are to be closed with the detailed planning. This concerns both the examination of the technical implementation and a possible tariff structure if the parking spaces are to be managed. So far, no decision has been made to introduce a parking space management system. Without the completion of detailed planning, the measure will not be submitted to the Presidential Board for a decision by the climate action management.
Components of the measure review
The review of measures has three main components: a recommendation for technical implementation, a recommendation for the organisation of tariff structure and the participation process.
Technical implementation
As part of the technical implementation planning, the operational system best suited to the conditions at the University's sites is examined. For this part, an engineering office is developing a draft for a technical best practice model. The various technical implementation options are analysed and evaluated according to defined criteria. These criteria include, for example, ease of use for users and low administration and maintenance costs. The investment and operating costs are also estimated in this planning module.
Tariff design
The tariff structure is to be developed in a participatory manner. The format of citizens' councils is to be trialled for the first time at the University of Oldenburg. In the so-called "Mobility Council", a group of randomly selected students and employees will jointly submit a proposal for the tariff structure.
Participation process
As part of a virtual information event on 15 Janurary 2026, the current planning status will be presented and the space opened up for questions. In addition, a new participation format will be trialled at the university in the form of the Mobility Council. The results of the Mobility Council will also be presented at a public event. This website also provides an overview of the previous and further steps in the examination of the measure.
Basics
Integrated climate action concept (2022)
The university's integrated climate action concept was adopted in 2022. As a university, we are aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. The concept contains a long catalogue with over 100 measures for the various fields of action. The measures were drawn up with the participation of various stakeholders from the university community as part of workshops, including the measure "AM_02 Parking space management". However, this measure is not automatically adopted with the adoption of the climate action concept. Like the other measures, however, it is being seriously considered for the implementation of the climate action concept.
Mobility survey (2024)
A mobility survey of students and employees is carried out every two years to calculate the university's greenhouse gas balance. The results can also be used to draw well-founded conclusions about the mobility behaviour of university members. The last survey was conducted in 2024. It revealed that a large proportion of the university's students and employees travel by bike or public transport. In 2024, this figure was 39% and 30% for students and 42% and 18% for employees. 16% of students and 10% of employees travelled on foot. However, 13% of students also use the car to get to university, compared to 28% of employees. Greenhouse gas emissions in the area of everyday mobility increased by 8.79% from 2022 to 2024, which highlights the need for action in this area to achieve climate action targets.
Information basis (2024)
As described above, all measures included in the climate action concept are being seriously examined for their implementation. In 2024, the climate action management team therefore created an initial information base on the topic of parking space management for the examination of the measure "AM_02 Parking space management". This compiled basic information on the initial situation at the University of Oldenburg and on technical implementation options. The information basis is intended to provide an overview of parking space management as a design tool for sustainable everyday mobility. It was published on the university's website and presented to the Presidential Board. The Presidential Board then decided to draw up a more detailed plan as a basis for decision-making on the introduction of parking space management (see detailed planning order).
FAQ
Here you will find a series of questions and answers relating to the assessment of measures for the introduction of parking space management. The FAQ will be continuously expanded.
General & Status Quo
Explanation of parking space management
Parking space management refers to the management of non-public parking facilities. The term [parking space] management encompasses the temporal and spatial influencing of parking space supply and demand to control the use of parking space (UBA 2021). The management of parking facilities can include the following aspects
- Control of access to parking spaces or the allocation of parking authorisations
- Economic factors (e.g. introduction of parking charges and thus redistribution of the costs for parking spaces from employers to users)
- Digitalisation (e.g. "smart parking" to simplify parking processes)
- Other rules and regulations
In principle, it is therefore possible to introduce car park management without charging parking fees.
How has the management of car parking spaces been handled at the University of Oldenburg to date?
There is currently no parking spae management system at the University of Oldenburg. The house rules stipulate that parking spaces may only be used by employees and students. However, apart from a few exceptions, all parking spaces are freely accessible and can also be used by non-university members. The university currently has hardly any means of monitoring or controlling this. There is also no established utilisation control over the use of the parking spaces. The University of Oldenburg incurs ongoing costs in maintaining these car parks. Without a management approach, these costs can only be roughly estimated. On the other hand, the university has not yet incurred any costs for maintaining aparking space management system.
What are the reasons for considering the introduction of a parking space management system?
There are essentially two reasons or triggers for addressing the issue of parking space management: climate action and parking pressure.
One important factor is the rising greenhouse gas emissions in the area of everyday mobility. Since the beginning of climate accounting at the University of Oldenburg, emissions from the use of private cars for travelling to the university have risen continuously. This thwarts efforts to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. Emissions in the area of everyday mobility account for almost 30% of the University of Oldenburg's total emissions. With extensive climate protection measures such as the introduction of a car park management system, the University of Oldenburg is not only fulfilling its social responsibility. It is also trying to stop the increase in the far-reaching consequences of climate change, which are already being felt in everyday university life in the form of long periods of heat during examination periods or heavy rainfall events.
The second aspect is the increasing parking pressure on the university's car parks. These are actually intended for students and employees, but are also frequently used by external parties. At present, the university has little control over preventing unauthorised use of the parking spaces. At the same time, there are ongoing costs for the maintenance of the car parks, which the university has to bear with its limited budget.
What advantages could the introduction of parking space management bring me?
The introduction of a parking space management system would ensure the exclusion of third-party parkers. This will secure the availability of parking spaces at the university, particularly during busy periods and peak times. This will improve the existing car park offer. This effect would be further enhanced if car use by university members were to decrease due to parking charges.
It should also be noted that the university is working on setting up charging points for electric cars. If these were publicly accessible, there is a risk that university members would hardly benefit from the charging points if they were frequently occupied by external users.
There is also the possibility of using the income from possible parking fees to expand a climate-friendly mobility infrastructure or for other sensible purposes.
Status of project planning
Has the introduction of a parking space management system already been decided?
It has not yet been decided whether a parking space management system will be introduced. The measure is currently being reviewed in order to fill the information gaps that still exist for this decision. This concerns the technical implementation options and the determination of possible tariff models. Only on the basis of this information can a feasibility study be carried out. A decision on the introduction depends on these findings, among others.
When should the decision on the introduction be made?
The decision on the possible introduction of a parking space management system will only be made once all parts of the assessment of the measure are available. This applies in particular to the results of the Mobility Council, which will meet in spring 2026. No decision on the introduction will be made before then.
What are the next steps after a possible decision?
The introduction of a parking space management system has not yet been decided. However, if a positive decision is made in favour of the introduction, implementation planning will begin first. In this planning, the detailed questions for the implementation must be clarified and the tendering procedure set up. This is a very time-consuming process. Even after a successful tendering process, the technical infrastructure at the car park units would first have to be set up. Even if parking charges were to be introduced, it would still be a long time before they were actually levied at the University of Oldenburg.
What does the participation process look like for the university public?
The participation process consists of various elements. Firstly, this website has been set up to provide university members with information about the project. In addition, the Mobility Council offers a participation format in which participants can actively contribute to the project design. At an information event on 11 December, the Presidential Board and Climate Action Management will provide information on the current status of project planning. The results of the Mobility Council will also be publicised at the university.
How are the various interest groups involved?
The Staff Council and AStA were already involved at the beginning of the enrolment process. So far, the main focus has been on developing technical recommendations for possible implementation. In the course of this, the organisational units involved were kept informed on an ongoing basis and the interim results were made available to the Staff Council. Representatives of the Staff Council also took part in the project meetings. The interest groups are also intended as input experts for the Mobility Council and will also be involved in the further process.
Mobility Council
The concept of the mobility council: model citizens' councils
The Mobility Council at the University of Oldenburg is based on the citizens' council model. Citizens' councils (also known as citizens' forums or deliberative opinion polls) have established themselves as an effective instrument for joint, well-informed decision-making by citizens. Citizens' councils are characterised by the following features
- Representative selection: Participants are not selected on the basis of their interest in the topic or their expertise, but by drawing lots from the population concerned
- Comprehensive information: Participants are given access to comprehensive information from various sources to enable them to form an informed judgement.
- Moderated discussion: The discussions are led by neutral moderators who ensure that all participants can have their say and contribute their perspectives. The aim is to find common solutions through open dialogue and mutual listening.
- Results-orientation: The participants develop concrete recommendations that are passed on to political decision-makers.
Citizens' assemblies have become increasingly important in Germany in recent years and have been successfully used in various contexts, from municipal planning issues to national policy areas, such as the Citizens' Assembly Germany's Role in the World (2021), the Citizens' Assembly Climate (2022) or the Citizens' Assembly Joint Transport Transition in Urban and Rural Areas (2024). Positive examples in the university context include the Climate Council (2023) of the University of Harzwhich has made an important contribution to the development of a sustainable and viable climate plan for the university.
The use of the Mobility Council is intended as a pilot project to test the methodology and principles of the citizens' council process at the University of Oldenburg. In this way, we want to expand the already numerous opportunities for participation in the area of climate action at the university.
What are the goals of the Mobility Council?
The Mobility Council should draw up a proposal for a viable tariff structure for parking space management in the event of the introduction of parking space management. When developing this proposal, both the objectives for the introduction (reduction of GHG emissions) and the various interests of university members must be taken into account. Further framework conditions and success factors can be formulated.
How does the Mobility Council work?
The Mobility Council is scheduled to take place in spring 2026.
The composition will be randomised and take into account defined criteria. The Mobility Council will primarily consist of two one-day meetings:
- Session 1: Introduction to the topic, presentation of information and development of initial recommendations
- Session 2: Examination and finalisation of concrete recommendations
The results of the Mobility Council will be summarised in a report and presented to the Presidential Board of the University of Oldenburg and to the university public.
What is the selection procedure for participating in the Mobility Council?
To ensure that the Mobility Council addresses the diverse and complex mobility circumstances of the university community, a multi-stage selection procedure is carried out. The Council is made up of a maximum of 30 people, divided equally between students and employees.
The random selection mechanism is central to this participation procedure. The procedure for this is currently being developed.
How are experts and interest groups involved in the Mobility Council?
In order to ensure that all participants have access to the different (professional) perspectives on the topic to be discussed, experts are invited to the first session to provide input. The experts include interest groups (e.g. Staff Council, AStA, etc.) as well as people who bring relevant professional expertise to the table through their work (e.g. facility management). Their input ensures that the respective professional perspective or the perspective of the group represented is included in the Mobility Council.
What criteria is the selection process for participants based on?
The selection of participants for the Mobility Council is based on a number of criteria. These were carefully selected to take into account the diverse mobility behaviour of university members. Taking this diversity into account is central to the development of a viable and accepted tariff model. At the same time, the interplay of factors that reflect mobility behaviour is very complex. This complexity cannot be fully and representatively mapped in the Mobility Council. The choice of criteria therefore follows the following principles:
- Representation of diversity: The criteria should enable the diversity of mobility behaviour to be represented in the Mobility Council.
- Relevance: The criteria relate directly to the actual mobility conditions and habits of students and employees.
- Data protection: The applicable legal provisions on data protection are taken into account throughout the process.
The specific criteria are currently being finalised and will subsequently be published here.
What are the exclusion criteria for participation in the Mobility Council?
In addition to the selection criteria for the pool of participants, some exclusion criteria are defined for participation as a regular member of the Mobility Council. This is intended to ensure the independence, neutrality and functionality of the Mobility Council. This applies, for example, to members of institutionalised interest groups or persons directly involved in the project. The perspectives of these interest groups or areas involved in the project flow into the Mobility Council via the impulses of the interest groups.
Participants must also be willing to participate fully in the meetings of the Mobility Council.
How is data protection taken into account in the selection procedure?
All personal data is processed strictly in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations (GDPR). The selection procedure is developed and carried out in coordination with the data protection management.
Can employees participate in the Mobility Council during their working hours?
Yes, as a participation format for a university project, participation in the meetings is working time. Participation must be agreed with the supervisor.
How is neutral moderation of the meetings guaranteed?
The meetings of the Mobility Council are organised by the Institute for Participatory Design and moderated by the Institute for Participatory Design. This ensures neutral and external moderation of the discussions and elaborations. The IPG supports the process with its extensive expertise in the moderation and support of participatory processes.
What happens with the results of the Mobility Council?
The consideration of the results of the Mobility Council is recorded in the review of the introduction of parking space management. The results developed will be presented to the Presidential Board and taken into account there for the further examination of the measure. The results will also be made available to the university public.