Finding parking in downtown Reykjavik shouldn’t need a PhD in Icelandic parking rules. Yet for visitors—and honestly, even for locals—figuring out P1, P2, and P3 zones can be frustrating. When is it free? Which garage is closest? What will it cost?

So we decided to fix that.

And with AI as our coding partner, we built a working parking app in a single afternoon.

The Problem

If you’ve ever driven into central Reykjavik, you know the drill:

  • Street parking is split into three zones, all with different prices.
  • It’s free after 18:00 on weekdays and all day Sunday—but not in garages.
  • There are seven main parking garages downtown, each with its own hours and pricing.

All this information exists. But it’s scattered across the city website and a few different apps. There was no simple, visual way to see everything at once.

We wanted something that answered three questions instantly:

  1. Is parking free right now?
  2. Where is the nearest option?
  3. What will it cost me?

Building It with AI

We used Claude (Anthropic’s AI assistant) as our coding partner. The workflow looked like this:

Hour 1 – Research & Data
Claude helped dig through Reykjavik’s open data portal (gagnagatt.reykjavik.is) and pulled together zone data, garage info, and parking stats.
We learned that downtown Reykjavik has:

  • ~3,300 garage spaces
  • ~1,200 paid street parking spots

Hour 2 – Core App
We built an interactive map using Leaflet.js showing:

  • All seven downtown garages
  • The three street parking zones

Claude handled most of the JavaScript, CSS, and data wiring. We focused on what the app should actually do and how it should feel.

Hour 3 – WordPress Integration
Since Startup Iceland runs on WordPress, we needed it to work there.
Claude created a full WordPress plugin with a simple shortcode:

... Loading...

Parking Information

Click a marker on the map for details

Address:
Capacity:
Hours:
Rates:
Get Directions →

Price Calculator

Downtown Statistics (2026)

3,334
Parking Garage Spaces
1,201
Paid Street Parking
471
Free Street Parking

Legend

Parking Garage
Shopping Mall
EV Charging
P1 - Central (630 ISK/hr)
P2 - Inner (230 ISK/hr)
P3 - Outer (230/70 ISK/hr)
P4 - Extended (230 ISK/hr)

Parking Tips

  • P1 & P2: Paid until 21:00 (incl. weekends)
  • P3: Weekdays only 09:00-18:00
  • P4: Weekdays only 08:00-16:00
  • Free on public holidays. Use Parka app to pay
Data source: reykjavik.is/en/parking

Drop it on any page and you get the full parking map.

Hour 4 – Features That Matter
We added what makes it genuinely useful:

  • Language toggle – Icelandic and English
  • “Free parking now” indicator – based on current day and time
  • Price calculator – pick a garage, enter hours, get an estimate
  • Directions button – one tap to open Google Maps

What We Learned

Building with AI isn’t about replacing developers.
It’s about moving faster on the parts that are already well understood—so you can spend your energy on:

  • Understanding the real problem
  • Making good design decisions
  • Making sure the solution actually helps people

The entire codebase is open source on GitHub.
All data comes from Reykjavik’s official open data portal.
And the app is live right now on this site.

Try It

  • Check if parking is free right now
  • Find the nearest garage
  • Know the cost before you leave

And if you’re building something for Iceland’s startup ecosystem and want to explore AI-assisted development—reach out. This rapid prototyping is perfect for testing ideas before you commit serious time or money.

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