According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, a new parking solution at the Mall of America will help shoppers monitor the mall's parking structures in real-time with cameras and manually adjustable data that links to signage, online information and a smartphone app that informs customers of volumes at specific parking areas and levels.

Parking solutions are increasingly popular at malls and other shopping centers, according to the source, because studies show that a customer's parking experience is a key factor in their overall shopping experience. Positive trips to the mall often involve more time - and more money - spent in stores, so malls look to optimize parking any way they can.

Some particularly advanced parking solutions can all but direct motorists directly to open spaces. Placing sensors in every parking space in a structure, these systems link to directive digital parking signs that tell drivers which lots are full, which are congested and which are open.

In addition to saving shoppers time, parking solutions like these cut down on carbon emissions, minimizing the time drivers spend meandering through busy lots looking for a desirable space.

According to the 2010 directory of major malls, the Mall of America is the largest mall in the United States, and features more than 2.7 million square feet of retail space.