There are two ways this may be happening. Some YouTube videos show a switch to activate parking lights but my i3 does not have one.
There is a second much more likely way that they are activated.
If you hold down the turn indicator for just 2 seconds this automatically activates the parking...
:o Just spent very uncomfortable and cold hour stuck in my car whilst updating the map data via USB!
Door would not open, system seemed locked up. No phone with me of course, thought of using the call BMW panic button but our mobile signal is not the best.
Eventually managed to open doors...