A Sustainable Parking Framework for Islamabad, Pakistan: Addressing Transition Challenges and Barriers

The United Nations 2030 vision clearly states that “no one should be left behind” in the Industry 5.0 and sustainability transitions. This study focuses on parking systems in Islamabad, Pakistan, a city affected by traffic congestion and inadequate parking infrastructure. The objective of this study is to develop a framework to support the transition toward sustainable parking systems in Islamabad. To achieve this goal, interviews with urban planners and decision-makers are conducted to explore barriers and challenges to implementing sustainable parking solutions and gather their recommendations and insights on smart parking applications. The main barriers and challenges, such as inadequate infrastructure, lack of technology integration, and public ignorance of sustainable practices, are revealed in this step. Then, a sustainable parking framework is proposed considering four main values: resilience, human-centricity, long-term focus, and sustainability; and targets three key dimensions: infrastructure and design, parking technology, and public education. Accordingly, a Sankey diagram is created to map the interview findings to the framework’s components and subcomponents. Moreover, the framework offers practical strategies for transitioning to sustainable parking. The proposed framework serves as a roadmap for transforming Islamabad’s parking system and can be used as a model for other developing countries facing similar challenges.