For a person with a physical disability, finding a parking space is not a minor inconvenience. It determines whether a trip into the city is possible at all.
Košice set out to change that. Not just by providing disabled parking spaces, but by making sure those spaces actually work for the people who need them.
The Challenge
Košice is the second-largest city in Slovakia and home to a diverse population of citizens with varying mobility needs. The city had designated disabled parking spaces across the city, but without reliable data on how those spaces were used, it was difficult to know whether they were available, whether they were sufficient, or where new ones were needed most.
For drivers with disabilities, the uncertainty was the problem. Arriving at a space to find it occupied — or not knowing where the nearest available space was — created barriers to independent participation in city life. The goal was not simply better parking. It was a more inclusive city.
Košice needed two things: real-time visibility into the availability of disabled spaces, and the data to make better long-term decisions about where to invest in accessible infrastructure.
The Solution
Sensade deployed 150 NB-IoT sensors across 53 disabled parking locations throughout Košice. Each sensor detects occupancy in real time, transmitting live availability data continuously to the Sensade platform. No existing city infrastructure was required.
A key part of the solution was integration with ParkDot, an existing parking app already in use in Slovakia. By feeding Sensade occupancy data directly into ParkDot, disabled drivers in Košice can see available spaces in real time through an app they may already be familiar with. Guidance comes through a channel that requires no new behaviour from the people who need it most.
The city also has access to a Sensade dashboard, giving it an operational overview of the sensor network across all 53 locations.
The Impact
For disabled drivers in Košice, the system provides something that was not available before: reliable information about where they can park before they arrive. Fewer wasted journeys, less uncertainty, and a more predictable experience of the city.
For the city, the occupancy data the sensor network generates is the foundation for better infrastructure decisions. Understanding which locations are consistently at capacity, which are underused, and where demand is growing gives Košice the evidence it needs to expand and optimise its accessible parking provision over time.
Reduced search traffic also means lower emissions — fewer vehicles circling in search of a space contributes directly to the city’s broader sustainability goals.
This project is a pilot. Its purpose is not just to solve today’s problem but to demonstrate what becomes possible when disabled parking is managed with the same rigour as any other piece of city infrastructure. The data it generates will shape how Košice develops its accessible parking network for years to come.
A City That Works for Everyone
Inclusivity is not an abstract ambition. It is built from the decisions a city makes about its streets, its spaces, and who they are designed to serve. A sensor on a parking space is a small thing. What it enables — the confidence to travel, the ability to plan, the freedom to participate — is not.
That is what reliable data makes possible. And it is why cities like Košice are choosing to build their accessible infrastructure on a foundation of ground truth.
The Results
- Real-time availability of disabled parking spaces
- Drivers guided to spaces via ParkDot
- Data foundation for expanding accessible parking infrastructure
- Pilot project with city-wide expansion potential
