Car park management
Car park management
This page brings together all the key information on the subject of parking space management and car park management. The background to this is the review of the possible introduction of a parking space management scheme, which the Executive Committee has commissioned as part of its climate protection management programme. No final decision has yet been made regarding its introduction.
Background to the measure
Board mandate
In December 2024, the Presidential Board decided that a basis for decision-making regarding a car park management system for the University of Oldenburg should be developed. This did not mean that the introduction of parking charges had yet been decided, but rather that it was being considered in principle. The Climate Action Management team was tasked with this, in close consultation with Department 4, Facility Management. The aim of the decision-making framework was to provide a fact-based analysis of the measure, including an initial cost estimate and a profitability analysis.
Requirements for the decision-making framework:
- Development of a technical best-practice model: Which operational system would be best suited to the conditions at the university’s various sites?
- Proposal for pricing structure: How could the parking fees be structured?
- Information and engagement of the university community
Documentation of the participatory process
Your involvement as members of the university community was a key factor in the decision-making process. You were able to find out about the process or help shape individual stages through a variety of formats. The results and content of these events are documented for you on this page.
Information session No. 1 (15 January 2026)
On 15 January 2026, a digital information session was held for the university community. The constructive points for discussion and suggestions raised during the session were further developed and addressed in the Mobility Forum.
Mobility Forum (19 March 2026)
On 19 March 2026, the Mobility Forum took place at the University of Oldenburg as a university-wide, open, in-person participatory workshop on the topic of car park management. In terms of content, the workshop was intended to complement the university’s existing participation initiatives on the topic of parking space management. Due to previous participation and time constraints, the workshop focused on exploring possible pricing models.
Information session No. 2 (17 June 2026)
On 17 June, a second information session was held for members of the university community. Participants also had the opportunity to address their questions and points for discussion directly to the University President, Prof. Dr Ralph Bruder, and the Vice-President for Administration and Finance, Jörg Stahlmann, during a discussion with the Presidential Board.
Fundamentals
Mobility Survey (2024)
Every two years, a mobility survey of students and staff is carried out to calculate the university’s greenhouse gas footprint. The results also allow well-founded conclusions to be drawn about the mobility behaviour of the university community. The last survey was carried out in 2024. It revealed that a large proportion of the university’s students and staff travel to campus by bicycle or on public transport. In 2024, the figures were 39 per cent and 30 per cent respectively for students, and 42 per cent and 18 per cent respectively for staff. Sixteen per cent of students and 10 per cent of staff travelled on foot. However, 13 per cent of students also use a car to travel to the university, whilst the figure for staff is 28 per cent. Greenhouse gas emissions from everyday travel rose by 8.79 per cent between 2022 and 2024, highlighting the need for action in this area to achieve climate action targets.
Fundamental research (2024)
All measures contained in the climate action strategy are being thoroughly assessed with a view to their implementation. In 2024, therefore, the Climate Action Management team drew up an initial information document on the subject of parking space management to support the assessment of measure ‘AM_02 Parking Space Management’. This document compiled basic information on the current situation at the University of Oldenburg and on technical implementation options. The information paper was intended to provide an overview of parking space management as a planning tool for sustainable everyday mobility. It was published on the university’s website and presented to the Executive Board. Consequently, the Presidential Board resolved to draw up a more detailed plan to serve as a basis for decision-making on the introduction of parking space management with parking space allocation.
Parking Space Survey (2025)
In January 2025, a survey of car park utilisation was carried out for the first time at the University of Oldenburg. The survey was conducted in winter during the lecture term in order to capture the busiest periods on campus and poor weather conditions. According to the study, the total capacity of the available parking spaces at both sites was not exceeded at any point during the survey period. With regard to university operations, it appears that, despite very high parking demand on a typical working day, sufficient parking spaces are available at all times of the day. The high parking demand is likely to have an impact on surrounding streets in some areas, which means that the
actual demand for parking spaces could be higher. The survey was unable to distinguish between vehicles belonging to university members and those belonging to external users.
FAQ
Here you will find a series of questions and answers relating to the assessment of measures for the introduction of a parking space management scheme. The FAQs are being updated on an ongoing basis.
General Information & Current Situation
Glossary: 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 regulation of parking supply and demand in order to manage the use of parking spaces (UBA 2021). The management of parking facilities may include the following aspects:
- Regulating access to car parks or the allocation of parking permits
- Economic factors (e.g. the introduction of parking charges and, consequently, the redistribution of the costs of parking spaces from the employer to users)
- Digitalisation (e.g. ‘smart parking’ to simplify parking procedures)
- Other rules and regulations
The term ‘parking space management’ is used when charges are levied for the use of parking facilities. In principle, it is therefore possible to introduce a parking space management system without charging for parking.