The event opened with an introduction to the challenges of integrating parking policies and the strategic placement of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. With three million charging points expected in Europe by 2030, cities face increasing pressure to manage parking policies and decide how and where to deploy EV infrastructure. The overarching theme of the meeting highlighted the need to treat parking and charging as interconnected systems rather than separate issues. 

Lille Métropole: Parking as a service

Olivier Asselin from Lille Métropole presented the city’s approach to electromobility and parking management. Lille, home to one million inhabitants, is responsible for rolling out EV-related infrastructure, including on-street parking. Asselin emphasised that parking is a service requiring proximity, security and availability, and questioned how EV charging fits into this framework. While two-thirds of parking supply is off-street, 90% of EV charging still occurs privately at homes or workplaces, with shopping centres also playing a significant role. The main challenge, he explained, lies in sharing limited urban space, namely balancing political considerations for on-street infrastructure with economic challenges off-street, while also addressing grid capacity, charging speed, investment costs, accessibility and safety standards.

Brussels: Data-driven rollout of charging infrastructure

Gabriela Barrera and Simon Weekx from MOBI/VUB presented Brussels’ three-phase rollout strategy for public on-street charging infrastructure. The first phase focused on a coverage-based approach to maximise geographic access, ensuring chargers reached as many residents as possible. The second phase shifted to a usage-based strategy, guided by charging behaviour, demand data and digital twin simulations to minimise failed sessions. The third and current hybrid phase combines both approaches to avoid blind spots and unintended accessibility gaps.

They explained that cities may choose between prioritising the efficiency of public space use by clustering chargers in high-demand areas or prioritising equitable geographic distribution. Population density, socio-demographics and alignment with Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are essential planning factors. Ultimately, they argued, the number of chargers should balance user convenience with infrastructure utilisation.

Leuven: Integrating parking and charging policies

Tim Asperges from the City of Leuven presented a local government perspective, explaining how the city transitioned from a supply-driven to a demand-driven approach to EV charging. Leuven, a mid-sized city with ambitious climate goals, integrates its charging strategy with parking policy to avoid privatising public space and prefers off-street charging hubs. In Belgium, regional disparities are significant, but Flanders aims to install 35,000 charging points by 2025 and grants residents a legal right to a charger within 250 metres. This, however, can conflict with Leuven’s local policy to reduce car presence on streets, regardless of motorisation type. Leuven enforces parking and charging rules using sensor technology and rotation tariffs, collaborates with local energy cooperatives to use solar power, and is launching multi-user charging hubs designed for grid balancing.

CROW: Accessibility and safety on pavements

Yannick Kops and Ronald van der Weerd from CROW addressed the accessibility and safety implications of on-street charging infrastructure. They highlighted the importance of maintaining walkability by managing cables effectively and ensuring a minimum 1.60-metre clearance on pavements. Proposed solutions include flat cables, cable ducts and certified cable covers. They also advocated for universal design standards, a certification programme for cable covers, and exploring the use of private electricity for public charging points. These recommendations have recently been published online (in Dutch).

Madrid: Multimodal mobility hubs

Pedro Fernandez from Madrid presented the city’s multimodal mobility hubs as a response to managing limited urban space in large cities. Madrid is progressively relocating parking and mobility activities from on-street to off-street and underground facilities, integrating EV charging, car-sharing and other mobility services in projects such as the Canalejas 360 hub. These hubs represent major investments and are supported by tools such as the Madrid 360 app, which provides real-time parking information. Madrid’s Electrolinera, one of Europe’s most powerful charging infrastructures, exemplifies the city’s large-scale commitment—made possible through strategic use of local, national and EU funding.

Panel discussion: Key takeaways

The panel discussion addressed several key issues. Sigurjon Ingolfsson from the European Parking Association (EPA) stressed that safety concerns should not be used to delay EV charging implementation, and that clear guidance for operators and cities can accelerate rollouts. He referenced the recently published EPA Fire Safety Toolbox as a practical resource. Participants also discussed enforcement challenges. Leuven is introducing sensors and rotational fees to prevent internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles from occupying charging spaces and to ensure EV users do not overstay. In France, police currently manage both parking and EV charging but lack coordination between the two functions, while Madrid’s off-street approach largely avoids these enforcement challenges. In the Netherlands, the absence of regulation means that EV-only charging locations can sometimes still be used by any vehicle. The discussion also explored how cities starting from scratch should approach infrastructure rollout. Simon Weekx recommended a coverage-driven approach in the early stages, warning that purely demand-driven models may misinterpret actual needs.

Overall, the meeting underscored that parking and EV charging infrastructure must be planned as integrated systems, balancing political, economic and spatial considerations. Data-driven rollout strategies can improve efficiency and accessibility, while inclusiveness on pavements and universal design principles ensure public support.

Enforcement mechanisms, safety standards and local energy integration are emerging as shared priorities. Finally, speakers agreed that the ultimate goal for cities is not only full electrification but also reducing car dependency, reclaiming public space, and supporting more sustainable, multimodal mobility systems.

Relevant resources

• Guidance of fire safety for electric vehicles parked and charging infrastructure in covered parking spaces
• Guidelines for tender procedure for deployment of public electric recharging infrastructure for cars and vans
• Recommendations for public authorities supporting the expansion of recharging infrastructure tailored for specialised and captive fleets
• Guidelines on accessibility of electric recharging infrastructure in the EU