‘There’s Never Enough Parking:’ ASPIRE Student Investigates the Truthfulness of This Adage 

Improving transportation and effectively developing and improving current systems requires a multi-disciplinary approach, which is what ASPIRE is all about — collaboratively taking a wholistic approach to improving transportation and electrifying the future. This is something Landscape Architecture Undergraduate Cameron Hill has discovered with his recently presented research project. 

“As someone interested in improving communities, I see an opportunity to bring together different disciplines — design, planning, and engineering — to discuss a long-overlooked issue, which is the oversupply of parking,” said Hill. “Presenting this research within the USU community offers a first step at doing so.” 

Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Associate Professor Ole Sleipness, Hill’s mentor, further emphasized the importance and value of Hill’s interest in transportation-related design issues. Together, they have tackled other transportation projects, including how EV charging stations can be leveraged for other urban design site improvements. 

“We share an interest in how our discipline’s creative problem-solving approach can add value through collaboration with other disciplines,” Sleipness said. “I’ve been deeply impressed by Cameron’s leadership in organizing department-wide transportation design workshops, and his initiative in his undergraduate research project.” 

Hill presented his research at the 2026 Student Research Symposium, a part of the Research Week at Utah State University. There he fielded questions from a multi-disciplinary audience as he presented his research findings. 

“The Spring Research Symposium offers a unique opportunity to showcase innovative knowledge alongside other students,” Hill shared. “It is a great way to enhance the experience of conducting research, all while being part of an incredible community right in our backyard.” 

Under Sleipness’s guidance, the findings center on collecting automated parking data. Hill aims to inform the planning and design of parking through his research. 

“While still in progress, we’ve developed a framework that uses cameras and computer vision to create parking data,” he said. “The result can produce a geospatial dataset that can be used to inform decision making for underused parking, whether new retail or housing, site improvements, or enhanced landscaping.” 

As they’ve developed the framework, Hill has discovered that research is an “uncertain process.” 

“This project has included a significant amount of revising methods, changing scope, and getting more expertise involved on the project,” he explained. “This research is significant, not only because it makes advances in creating a better built environment, but it does it at a time when the technology to do so is rapidly evolving — not only technology’s capabilities, but the extent to which we can ethically use it.” 

Despite the uncertainties, Hill has become a valuable asset to researchers at ASPIRE as he improves his own skills as a researcher. 

“While he is one of our program’s most talented undergraduate students, my experience working with Cameron is more akin to collaborating with a faculty colleague,” Sleipness shared. “By participating in funded research, Cameron has developed his own skill in proposing research questions and strategizing different approaches to using his design skills to solve tangible, real-world problems. I’m excited to see where his graduate school education takes him.” 

Overall, his goal is to help create a more self-sufficient, effective parking system that finds the balance between the demand for parking and the number of spaces available. 

“This research seeks to show people what we cannot see. The adage ‘there’s never enough parking’ doesn’t always stand true,” he said. “Making it easier to know whether there truly is enough parking — and not too little or too much — can help support better land use, create more pleasant communities, and ultimately enable a higher quality of life.” 

Through his research and efforts to improve parking systems by increasing the efficiency, Hill is paving the way towards an electrified future that will more smoothly integrate electrified vehicles. 

For the latest news, publications, and research highlights from ASPIRE, visit aspire.usu.edu. 

About ASPIRE: 

ASPIRE, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center headquartered at Utah State University, leads groundbreaking research and development to accelerate electrification. With over 400 global collaborators, ASPIRE focuses on creating seamless, affordable electrified transportation systems, accessible for all vehicle classes, along with the public infrastructure needed to support them. By reducing emissions, improving air quality, and fostering economic growth through job creation and workforce training, ASPIRE’s work spans engineering, social science, policy, and business. Partnering with top universities, industry leaders, and community groups, ASPIRE is driving the future of advanced transportation. Learn more at aspire.usu.edu. 

Contacts: 

Kat Webb
Content Director
Marketing & Communications 
ASPIRE ERC  

Writer: 

Kayleigh Kearsley 
Marketing & Communications Intern 
ASPIRE ERC