MonkeyParking is a

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

that allows users of the service to auction

parking space A parking space, parking place or parking spot is a location that is designated for parking, either paved or unpaved. It can be in a parking garage, in a parking lot or on a city street. The space may be delineated by road surface markings. ...

s to other users. The company was founded in 2013 by Paolo Dobrowolny, Federico Di Legge and Roberto Zanetti. The app (first allowed users to auction off public, city-owned parking spots to the highest bidder) is now focused on private parking spot: property owners are allowed to grant permission for others to park in front of their driveways.

On-street parking

In June 2014, the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

's City Attorney Office issued a cease-and-desist order to stop the company's operations on on-street parking spots in San Francisco, describing the service as "a predatory private market for parking spaces"."Monkey Parking App’s CEO Refuses To Halt Operations In SF, Despite Order From City Attorney’s Office — CBS San Francisco." CBS San Francisco. CBS Local Media, 26 June 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.. The

City Attorney of San Francisco The City Attorney of San Francisco is an elected position in the City and County of San Francisco, California. While city-county consolidation resulted in the unified government attaining both a city attorney and a district attorney, the two pos ...

Dennis Herrera Dennis Herrera is an American attorney, currently serving as Public Utilities Commission general manager for San Francisco. Herrera was previously City Attorney of San Francisco, known for his longtime legal advocacy for same-sex marriage in Cali ...

, regarded the app as breaking a provision of the city's Police Code that specifically prohibits individuals or companies from buying, selling or leasing public on-street parking, and sent a request to the legal department of

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company b ...

to remove the app from Apple's

App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...

. Defending this usage, CEO Paolo Dobrowolny said "I have the right to tell people if I am about to leave a parking spot, and they have the right to pay me for such information." In July 2014 MonkeyParking suspended its service in San Francisco, and in February 2015

Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California. The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...

approved an

ordinance Ordinance may refer to: Law * Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission * Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet * ...

making it illegal for any company similar to Monkey Parking to establish business within city limits. In September 2014 MonkeyParking announced plans to launch in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

. The city's parking administrator was critical of the app, comparing it to "a street bum hostands on a space, waves someone in and asks for a tip". Apps including MonkeyParking have been banned in Boston. A Boston transportation planner said that the apps were doing a "great thing" in bringing more private supply into the public market, giving the example of a church parking lot which could be used by commuters during the week, but that such services "should not be taking a

public good Public good may refer to: * Public good (economics), an economic good that is both non-excludable and non-rivalrous * The common good, outcomes that are beneficial for all or most members of a community See also * Digital public goods Digital pu ...

and selling it on the private market".

References

{{reflist IOS software Parking