1. There is an opportunity for an initiative to increase parking at the University of Florida.
2. Students and faculty need more parking on campus and in the city of Gainesville. A solution would be another parking garage.
The need has increased within the past few years because more people are driving and bringing their cars to school.
Now, there is a student government committee to brainstorm how to make more parking but they have not had any break throughs.
This opportunity definitely exists. There is a large need and we need to figure out how to meet it.
3. The prototypical customer is students who live in populated areas, like around sorority row.
4. Iteration no. 1- Lizzie Connor
Q: Do you find that looking for parking around your apartment is difficult?
A: Yes. I often cannot find parking near my apartment and have to walk long distances with heavy objects like groceries. It is an extreme inconvenience.
Reflection: I learned that more people fell the same way that I do and that having more parking would solve a lot of issues.
Iteration no. 2- Jess Maloney
Q: How long have you had difficulty with finding parking?
A: Since I got to Gainesville. They oversell the city parking so its always full and I have to drive around for forever to find a parking spot and its usually really far from my apartment. Its honestly a safety hazard. I feel unsafe walking alone far distances at night. I need more parking!
Reflection: I learned that its not just about being inconvenient, its about safety. I feel like this is a way bigger problem than it is being treated as. Safety of students should be the first priority.
Iteration no.3- Victoria Najmy
Q: How often do you experience trouble with parking?
A: The only time I have found close enough parking to where I live is when its a holiday weekend or summer when less people are in Gainesville. I don't feel safe walking that far, especially at night and its a major inconvenience and waste of time having to drive around just to park my car.
Reflection: I believe that this needs to be addressed as soon as possible. We need to figure this out for the peace of mind of UF students.
7. My entire original opportunity is still there. I believe it is more accurate than when I started because I realized that everyone could use more parking and would benefit in ways I hadn't thought of, like feeling safer. I definitely think entrepreneurs should value customer feedback completely. After all, those are who is buying your product so you should listen to them within reason.
This was, is, and will possibly always be an issue for campus. As more and more classes are offered, and students join UF, the increase of this demand rises. UF has implemented various alternatives to driving, but in a suburban area like Gainesville, it is nearly impossible to live without a vehicle. And if you don't live right on campus or within walking distance, your options shrink. Scooters, bikes, walking, and buses are some alternatives but not enough students and faculty are taking advantage of it to make a difference. Another new parking garage, or two would definitely help. Without being involved in planning, I don't know exactly how many more spots they would need to make available, but surely two more parking garages should make a dent. And once you add Gator game weekends into the equation, forget about finding parking anywhere within a 5 mile radius of the University! Good luck Gainesville!
ReplyDeleteAlso, here is a link to my post: http://thelindseywalker.blogspot.com/2016/05/forming-opportunity-belief.html
ReplyDeleteJenn,
ReplyDeleteI love that your choice of topic was the parking issue at UF! I know this is a major concern that a lot of student have so it would be amazing if something gets done to solve this. All of the people you interviewed seem to feel the same so i think this is a great topic!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYes yes YES! Gainesville is a nightmare when it comes to parking. I completely agree with the feeling of being unsafe because I've had to park so far from my apartment before. Additionally, the frequent robberies that have occurred within the last year around Gainesville has frightened me even more when I had to park far. The more and more apartment complexes that have been built hasn't helped the parking situation either.
ReplyDeletep.s. here is my post as well: http://nataliecwalker.blogspot.com/2016/05/forming-opportunity-belief.html
I definitely agree that something needs to be done about the parking at UF! Trying to find parking spots at certain locations and times of day is so frustrating and you definitely have to plan your day around that. The only thing is, I think it might be difficult to take advantage of this opportunity because it could be expensive and difficult to purchase land nearby. The corner lot on University and 13th that is under construction now would’ve been the perfect location for a parking garage. I hope UF will be able to create more parking soon!
ReplyDeleteGREAT POST!!
ReplyDelete