What Green Parking Council does

Green Parking Council is a U.S.-based non-profit founded in 2010 and headquartered in New Haven, operating the Parksmart certification program for sustainable parking facilities. Parksmart is positioned as the world's leading certification in its category, evaluating parking structures across sustainability dimensions including energy efficiency, water management, sustainable materials, and mobility outcomes. The organization serves two primary customer segments: parking facility owners and operators seeking third-party sustainability credentials, and commercial and municipal developers building or retrofitting parking assets.

The underlying technology is the Parksmart certification framework, a comprehensive rating system covering design, operations, and mobility integration for parking structures. Certification is administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which conducts technical reviews and issues certifications through the arc.gbci.org project registration portal. The product portfolio includes the core Parksmart Certification, alongside Parksmart Advisor (an advisory service guiding organizations through certification) and Parksmart Education (training and educational resources). In 2024, program leadership transitioned to the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI), which now drives market engagement and program growth, while GBCI retains certification administration.

Green Parking Council generates revenue through project-based certification fees with quote-based pricing under multi-year contracts. Distribution is handled through GBCI's registration portal for technical certification and IPMI for market engagement and industry leadership, giving the program global reach. Marketing relies on digital channels including the official Parksmart website, social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn), email newsletters, and press releases via GBCI. A notable customer milestone includes Atlanta's Grant Park Gateway, the first space certified as LEED, SITES, and Parksmart simultaneously.

Name

Green Parking Council

Website

https://greenparkingcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Green Parking Council is a New Haven-based non-profit operating the Parksmart certification program, the global standard for sustainable parking facility certification, serving parking owners, operators, and developers seeking third-party-verified sustainability credentials through GBCI-administered reviews.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Certification

NAICS

Parking Lots and Garages (812930)

SIC

Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500)

akta.pro primary industry

Parking Facility Operations (Garages, Lots, On-/Off-Street) (BPABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parking Asset Management & Facility Services (Cleaning, Security, Staffing, Maintenance) (TLAJAIAG), Parking Management & Enforcement (Citations, Permits, Compliance) (BPABAKAB)

Keywords

• Sustainable parking certification
• Green parking certification
• Parking facility certification
• Mobility sustainability standards
• Environmental certification services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification Services: GBCI administers Parksmart certification including technical reviews and project certification services. Revenue is generated through project registration and certification fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Green Parking Council operates the Parksmart certification program, the world's leading certification for sustainable parking facilities. Parksmart evaluates parking structures across sustainable design, operations, and mobility outcomes — covering energy efficiency, water management, and sustainable materials — and is administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and led by the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI). Supporting offerings include Parksmart Advisor (advisory service guiding certification) and Parksmart Education (educational resources).

Product overview

Green Parking Council operates Parksmart as a single unified certification program focused on sustainable parking facilities. The core offering is the Parksmart Certification, which is administered by GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.) and now led by IPMI (International Parking & Mobility Institute). Supporting modules include Parksmart Advisor for certification guidance and Parksmart Education for training resources, all designed to advance smarter parking design, operations, and mobility outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parksmart Certification The world's leading certification for sustainable parking facilities, administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and led by the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI). Evaluates energy efficiency, water management, and sustainable materials; helps transform parking facilities into high-performing, low-impact assets supporting decarbonization, efficient resource use, and connected mobility. Organizations register projects through arc.gbci.org for technical review and certification.
• Parksmart Advisor Advisory service that supports organizations pursuing Parksmart certification by guiding them through the registration, technical review, and certification process.
• Parksmart Education Educational resources and training programs covering Parksmart certification methodology and sustainable parking practices for parking and mobility professionals.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPMI is the global authority for parking and mobility professionals and now leads Parksmart. IPMI is responsible for market engagement, industry leadership, and program growth. IPMI drives the next generation of Parksmart certification.
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBCI continues to administer Parksmart certification, including technical reviews and project certification services, ensuring rigor, consistency, and global credibility. GBCI is the official certifying body for the Parksmart program.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SITES (Sustainable SITES Initiative): SITES certifies sustainable landscape and site development. It is a directly comparable sustainability rating system administered under the same GBCI umbrella and frequently bundled with Parksmart on projects like Atlanta's Grant Park Gateway.
• International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI): IPMI now leads Parksmart and is the global trade association for parking and mobility professionals. It is directly comparable as the governing industry body shaping parking facility standards and certification.
• Green Building Initiative (Green Globes): Green Globes is a sustainability certification for commercial buildings administered by the Green Building Initiative. It is comparable as an alternative third-party green certification competing for the same built-environment owner/operator market.

Emerging players

• Fitwel: Fitwel is a healthy building certification operated by the Center for Active Design. It is comparable as a newer, specialized building certification targeting similar owner/operator buyers seeking differentiated sustainability and wellness credentials.
• IWBI (WELL Building Standard): WELL is a building certification focused on occupant health and wellbeing, also administered via GBCI. It is comparable as a complementary green-building certification that developers frequently stack alongside LEED, SITES, and Parksmart.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): USGBC owns the LEED green building rating system, the dominant sustainability certification for buildings. It is comparable as a sister certification framework addressing built-environment sustainability, with overlapping customers and channels.
• BRE Group (BREEAM): BREEAM is one of the world's longest-running green building certification schemes, with international reach. It is comparable as a broad sustainability certification standard competing for the same developer and municipal sustainability budgets.
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI): GBCI administers Parksmart and is the certifying body for LEED, SITES, WELL, and PEER. It is directly comparable as a third-party sustainability certification administrator operating in the built environment.
• EPA ENERGY STAR (Portfolio Manager): ENERGY STAR provides benchmarking and certification for energy-efficient buildings. It is comparable as a federally recognized sustainability and energy performance credential frequently pursued alongside or as an alternative to private certifications.

Regional players

• BOMA BEST: BOMA BEST is a Canadian building certification for existing commercial buildings. It is comparable as a regional green building certification competing for similar owner/operator sustainability credentials, though primarily serving the Canadian market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Parksmart
• Facebookfacebook.com/ParksmartGBCI/?fref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-parking-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Green Parking Council