Audi 2015 Annual Report Download - page 53

FRT is considering o ering its customers
in Assembly Row a fl eet of piloted park-
ing Audi cars. In working toward this
goal, Audi is incorporating its technical
know-how while FRT is providing its ex-
pertise in real estate development. “We
are taking another step into the future,”
says Audi engineer Christian Feist.
He develops driver assistance systems in
Ingolstadt at Audi Electronics Venture
GmbH, a subsidiary of AUDI AG. “Up to
now we have tested our technology in
existing buildings. Now we can infl uence
the architecture and get even more out
of it,” Feist explains.
Smart technologies can help do things
like give people more time and space –
two very scarce resources in cities. With
piloted parking, workers could gain up
to  extra hours per year. That is more
than four whole days. Audi calculates
that cars use  percent less space since
they can park closer together. This turns
time and space into a new currency.
“When cities and businesses recognize
their economic value, there is greater
motivation to invest in intelligent infra-
structure or a smart car fl eet,” Stadler
emphasizes.
For the real estate developer FRT, the
motivation is clear : “The municipal code
and market demand require real estate
developers in the United States to o er
a fi xed number of parking spaces per
residential unit, hotel room, retail and
o ce square footage. Structured park-
ing, both above and below ground, is
very costly, regardless of the location.
This is often the primary driver of wheth-
er a project is fi nancially viable,” says
real estate developer Patrick McMahon,
who leads the Assembly Row proj ect
at FRT. “If we can use piloted parking,
we can provide the required number of
parking spaces in a smaller area. We can
use the recaptured area to create more
opportunities for residential, retail,
o ce, public or green space develop-
ment.” This makes the neighborhood
much more attractive and o ers people
additional time to take advantage of
what the area o ers – whenever possible
and without the hassle of trying to fi nd
parking. “Piloted parking is an exciting
and progressive technology that aligns
with our goal of delivering an immer-
sive environment for our customers,”
McMahon says. “With the potential
benefi t of signifi cant cost savings to
deliver more e cient and smaller park-
ing facilities.”
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