Volkswagen is turning existing car parks into places where local residents can meet and have fun, while still being accessible to cars. The intention has given rise to the first Volksparking, a pilot project in which a mobile basketball hoop automatically searches for empty parking spaces allowing local residents to use the parking as a play area.

"It’s a combination of creativity, technology and social engagement," says Jean-Marc Ponteville, Volkswagen Belgium. "For those who wish, you are invited to suggest a suitable location for a new Volksparking."

“Together with the MIT Institute of Technology in Massachusetts, Volkswagen was looking for new ways to better use existing parking spaces. One of our first thoughts was to use the empty space,” Jean-Marc Ponteville, Volkswagen Belgium, explains. "Because, no matter how coveted they are, if there is no car, they are virtually useless. It’s why we developed an automatic basketball ring that moves around the parking lot, looking for a free place. Thanks to an automated detection system, it can detect a free space and install the basketball hoop, turning an empty car parking space into a playing field.”