Dynamic Pricing Course in Urban Parking
Online course of 300 hours in dynamic pricing for urban parking. 6 modules covering parking economics, pricing models, occupancy data, implementation and communication, evaluation of results and a final project, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the economic foundations of parking pricing.
Design pricing models based on target occupancy.
Apply forecasting and optimisation techniques to rate setting.
Analyse occupancy and transaction data against quality criteria.
Fit dynamic pricing within the municipal fiscal and legal framework.
Assess the effects of pricing on traffic, local retail and equity.
Develop a dynamic pricing proposal for a real area.
Who it's for
- Municipal mobility officers responsible for on-street parking policy.
- Mobility pricing analysts building occupancy-based rate models.
- Managers of regulated parking services at concession companies.
- Transport policy consultants advising local authorities.
- Mobility data scientists working with sensor and payment data.
- Transport economists interested in kerbside demand management.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to move into local government.
What you'll work with
- Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004, Local Treasuries Regulatory Act (Spanish law on local government finance and fees)
- Law 7/1985 regulating the Bases of the Local Regime (Spanish framework law for local government)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679, General Data Protection Regulation (EU personal data protection)
- Directive 2010/40/EU on intelligent transport systems (EU framework for ITS deployment)
- Law 7/2021 on climate change and energy transition (Spanish climate law)
- Royal Decree 1052/2022 on low-emission zones (Spanish regulation of low-emission zones)
- Python (scikit-learn)
- R
- QGIS
- Power BI
- Excel Solver
6 modules
1.1Parking as a scarce good and its social cost1.2Shoup's theory on free parking1.3Opportunity cost of kerbside space1.4The 85% target occupancy1.5Price elasticity of parking demand1.6Externalities of cruising for a space1.7Equity and distributional effects of pricing1.8Differences between flat, progressive and dynamic rates1.9International experiences with variable pricing1.10Case study: estimating elasticities with real data
2.1Pricing based on observed occupancy2.2Periodic adjustments by time band and block2.3Real-time pricing versus scheduled pricing2.4Progressive rates by length of stay2.5Optimisation models with an occupancy constraint2.6Queueing theory applied to searching for a space2.7Feedback control algorithms2.8Reinforcement learning to set rates2.9Differentiated prices by vehicle emissions2.10Lab: rate adjustment algorithm in Python
3.1Sources of occupancy and transaction data3.2Sensors versus payment data as a proxy3.3Cleaning and validating occupancy data3.4Segmentation by street block and zone3.5Short-term occupancy forecasting3.6Detecting anomalies and special events3.7Publishing rates as open data3.8Data protection for paying users3.9Quality and bias in occupancy data3.10Practical: occupancy forecasting model by block
4.1Legal framework of parking tax by-laws4.2Amending municipal fees and public prices4.3Integration with parking meters and payment apps4.4Signage and rate information for users4.5Communication and transparency strategies4.6Complaint handling and social acceptance4.7Rates for residents, traders and services4.8Coordination with off-street car parks4.9Pilot phases and scaling up4.10Workshop: communication plan for a new rate
5.1Occupancy, turnover and availability indicators5.2Before-after experimental design and control groups5.3Impact on cruising traffic5.4Effects on local retail5.5Revenue, collection and allocation of funds5.6Evaluation of SFpark, LA Express Park and Seattle5.7Equity analysis by neighbourhood5.8System adjustments after evaluation5.9Results report for decision-makers5.10Case study: evaluating a pricing pilot
6.1Selecting the study area6.2Occupancy and transaction analysis6.3Defining rate blocks6.4Designing the pricing algorithm6.5Regulatory and fiscal proposal6.6Communication plan and pilot6.7Evaluation indicators6.8Estimating revenue and impacts6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
Delivered 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so the programme fits around full-time work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is Python (scikit-learn), R, QGIS, Power BI and Excel Solver, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: occupancy analysis by street block, simulation of rate adjustments and before-after evaluation of pilots. Assessment is continuous by module, plus a final capstone project.
Standards covered: Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004, Local Treasuries Regulatory Act; Law 7/1985 regulating the Bases of the Local Regime; Regulation (EU) 2016/679, General Data Protection Regulation; Directive 2010/40/EU on intelligent transport systems; Law 7/2021 on climate change and energy transition; Royal Decree 1052/2022 on low-emission zones.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Python (scikit-learn), R, QGIS, Power BI and Excel Solver, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: you only need an internet connection, a computer capable of running the programme's software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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