Colorado State University Named Innovative Parking Organization of the Year by the National Parking Association

FORT COLLINS, CO – Colorado State University (CSU) has been recognized as the Innovative Parking Organization of the Year by the National Parking Association (NPA). The award is presented each year to an organization that demonstrates cutting-edge expertise, smart city innovation and advancement of technology in the parking industry. CSU was recognized for its pioneering approach to promoting sustainability through the university parking program, as well as the introduction of a groundbreaking parking guidance program utilizing industry-leading INDECT technology.

“This is a tremendous honor for Colorado State University and our parking program,” says Doug Mayhew, associate director of Parking and Transportation for the university. “The university is committed to promoting sustainability, and our parking program is playing an important role in making CSU greener.  We are gratified to have our efforts recognized by the parking industry.”

As the first university in the world to earn Platinum rating from AASHE STARS, Colorado State University leads the nation’s universities in sustainability best practices. It was also named America’s “greenest” university in 2015 by BestColleges.com. Situated along the western edge of the Great Plains at the base of the Rocky Mountains, CSU is home to the first solar-heated/air-conditioned on-campus building and has also worked with NASA to develop a cloud-profiling radar system that monitors climate change.

CSU’s parking guidance system features INDECT parking sensors in each of the university’s two parking structures. The Lake Street Parking Garage has a combination of single-space and multi-space sensors monitoring all 870 spaces, and the South College Avenue Garage utilizes INDECT sensors to manage all 663 of that facility’s spaces. The sensor network records parking space occupancy, advises parkers of real time parking availability as they approach the garage and guides them to open spaces. The sensors also collect data about length of stay, occupancy and usage for each of the different user groups at the garage, which the university uses to enhance its parking policies and procedures.

INDECT is a leading provider of parking guidance systems. INDECT’s systems combine the most advanced parking space sensors with industry-leading data management technology to offer drivers a safer, more convenient parking experience while helping parking owners operate their parking assets more efficiently and profitably. INDECT USA can be found online at www.indectusa.com.

Featured

  • Geometric abstract school illustration

    How Design Shapes Learning and Success

    Can the color of a wall, the curve of a chair, or the hum of fluorescent lights really affect how a student learns? More schools are beginning to think so.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).