Efficient Parking Spot Allocation in a Grid-Based Parking Lot

Parking management in urban areas faces significant challenges, including congestion, inefficient allocation, and unauthorized use of parking spaces. Building on a previous study that proposes a dynamic parking management system using a grid-based structure that categorizes parking spots as long-term or short-term, allowing for flexible and efficient allocation, this study focuses on optimizing and extending the system for greater efficiency. The system incorporates and compares four algorithms—Dijkstra's, Bellman-Ford, Content-Based Search (CBS), and Jump Point Search (JPS)—along with a novel Combined Search Algorithm, designed to optimize parking allocation and exit determination. The proposed Combined Search Algorithm demonstrated superior efficiency through comprehensive evaluation, reducing allocation and exit determination times by approximately 18% compared to Dijkstra's, 25% to Bellman- Ford, 20% to CBS, and 15% to JPS. These results highlight the approach's potential to significantly improve parking management by optimizing resource utilization, minimizing conflicts, and enhancing user experience.