Tracking Urban Order in Micromobility

This paper proposes an entropy-based Spatial Order Index for monitoring changes associated
with geofenced parking interventions in shared micromobility systems. Implemented as virtual
parking zones or designated parking locations, such interventions are intended to reduce disorderly
parking and structure vehicle distribution in urban space. The paper develops an objective measure
of spatial order by deriving the index from summarizable count-based primitives and Shannon
entropy in a form suitable for systematic reporting. The present version applies the approach to
operational micromobility data from Düsseldorf, where spatial order is analyzed over time across
parking-prohibition zones and related to the rollout of geofenced designated parking locations. Across
the study period, the monthly index rises from 0.225 in January 2023 to 0.367 in early 2026 and shows
a strong positive association with the number of designated parking locations (r = 0.969). These
results illustrate how the index can be used to monitor changes in parking patterns associated with
urban parking regulation. Because the method is based on a standardized count-based representation,
it is also suitable for comparative analyses across different urban areas and, in principle, across
different cities.