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VANCOUVER, CANADA – 19 August 2025 – Sustainability is no longer the exclusive domain of big business. Cities, too, recognize they have a duty of care to their communities to meet today's needs and to protect future generations through sustainable action - reduced waste, energy conservation and good environmental stewardship. But while cities place increasing value on sustainability, limited resources and competing priorities can hinder them on their sustainability path.
The City of South Miami works with PayByPhone, their parking payments provider and a global leader in mobile parking payments, to advance its sustainability efforts. Alfredo Riverol, Chief Financial Officer, The City of South Miami, and Carmen Donnell, Managing Director North America, PayByPhone, explain.
How important is sustainability in the parking industry?
Carmen Donnell: PayByPhone is committed to partner with cities to help make the sustainability journey simpler. Just as we simplify everyday journeys for drivers, we aim to do the same for our clients' sustainability efforts. There are many ways for the industry to incorporate sustainable practices, whether that is with green roofs and walls on parking structures, energy-efficient and motion sensor lighting in parking garages, permeable surfaces for stormwater control, recycled and low-impact construction materials, and of course the shift to EVs reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. These small things, on a large scale, can make a significant, positive impact. AI, FLPR and other smart parking technologies support sustainability; imagine drivers using tech to find parking spaces, thus reducing circling or idling and therefore helping improve local air quality.
How important is sustainability to the City of South Miami and what are the City’s sustainability goals?
Alfredo Riverol: South Miami has a solid history of sustainability leadership, becoming one of the first cities in Florida to require LEED standards for new construction. The City has consistently emphasized tree canopy preservation, stormwater control, transit access, and the use of solar energy and green infrastructure. Its efforts also focus on improving parking efficiency and promoting a cleaner streetscape by eliminating traditional parking meters. The City remains committed to energy efficiency, climate resilience, and reducing environmental impact through thoughtful development and transportation planning.
What sustainability measures is the City taking in relation to parking and beyond?
Riverol: The City’s efforts here focus on improving parking efficiency and promoting a cleaner, more pedestrian-friendly streetscape by eliminating traditional parking meters. In moving to a digital pay-by-plate system, we have reduced sidewalk clutter, improved accessibility, and decreased the maintenance and environmental costs tied to physical meter infrastructure. This shift supports South Miami’s broader sustainability goals by streamlining operations, conserving resources, and enhancing the overall look and function of public spaces. It’s one of the ways we’re working to make the City not only more sustainable, but also practical and welcoming.
What is PayByPhone’s Meters For Trees initiative?
Donnell: Meters for Trees is PayByPhone’s multi-award-winning environmental initiative – it has won 12 international awards - that supports partner cities, like the City of South Miami, in meeting their sustainability goals. We launched Meters for Trees in the UK in 2019, as part of our broader environmental campaigns including Green December, and was it was introduced in North America in 2025. Under the terms of Meters for Trees, PayByPhone plants trees for parking hardware that is removed or decommissioned. By planting trees, CO₂ is absorbed by each newly planted tree, directly benefitting the environment through carbon footprint reduction because CO₂ is sequestered from the atmosphere. No parking hardware also eliminates the need for vehicles – and their polluting emissions - to collect cash and to service parking hardware. In one borough in London, England, that equated to 23,000 miles every year, helping to improve local air quality. Over the past five years, PayByPhone’s environmental campaigns have collectively planted over 225,000 trees globally.
How easy was it for the City to sign up to the program and what process did you have to go through?
Riverol: Joining Meters for Trees was an easy and natural step for South Miami. Since the City had already moved to mobile parking payments and removed all traditional parking hardware, enrolling in the program was a simple way to expand its environmental impact. With around 700 meters eliminated, South Miami helped plant 39 trees in Withlacoochee State Forest in Central Florida and PayByPhone contributed an additional $500 toward local tree planting. Meters for Trees supports a cleaner streetscape, lowers maintenance costs, cuts emissions from service vehicles, and fits perfectly with the City’s broader sustainability goals.
What results and benefits are the City hoping to achieve since signing up to Meters For Trees?
Riverol: By joining Meters for Trees, the City is aiming to achieve several long-term benefits that align with its commitment to sustainability and quality of life. Beyond the obvious environmental impact of tree planting, the City hopes to improve air quality, enhance shade and green space, and support regional reforestation efforts. Locally, the absence of physical meters creates a cleaner, more accessible streetscape for residents and visitors. The program also helps reduce maintenance and operational costs while decreasing emissions from service vehicles. South Miami sees this initiative as a smart, practical way to strengthen both its environmental goals and the community’s day-to-day experience.
What does the future hold for sustainability in the parking industry?
Donnell: The future is bright because sustainability is no longer a buzzword. It is a tangible, vital element to any company’s - or city’s - strategic plan. The need for cities’ partners not only to meet sustainable criteria themselves but also to add value and enable cities to reach their sustainable goals will continue. More specifically, the EV infrastructure will continue to grow, there will more mobility hubs, while micro mobility and last-mile solutions will continue to gain popularity. Sustainability is no longer a tick-box exercise. It requires commitment, time, and dedication. And even if you are making only small steps towards sustainability, that’s a positive shift towards a better future. At PayByPhone, we’re excited to be at the forefront of this, enabling our clients to improve their sustainability, one tree at a time.
