Cognitive Cities

San Francisco is about to spend $25 million to answer a simple question: How much should a city charge for parking? The price should be cheap enough that most of the metered spaces and city parking lots are always almost full. But it shouldn't be so cheap that spaces are entirely full, leaving drivers frustrated and adding to congestion as cars circle endlessly looking for a place to park. ... The system will use electronic sensors to measure real-time demand for parking spaces, and adjust prices accordingly. When there are lots of empty spaces, it will be cheap to park. When spaces are hard to find, rates will be higher. "It's basic supply and demand," Shoup said. The range in prices will be huge: from 25 cents an hour to a maximum of $6 an hour, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority.

Not a bad idea, and I can see a mashup between Goldilocks and Google Open Spot on the horizon already.