Reflections on the industry of Parking:

Balancing Tradition and Transformation

 

The parking industry is a unique and abstract world. The intricacies of the industry are completely unknown by most end users. While nearly everyone interacts with parking in their daily lives, few have truly seen it from the inside out.  

​

When I first entered this space nearly eight years ago, my only perspective was that of a parking patron. Since then, I’ve been continually amazed by the complexity of what it really means to "just park a car." Every daily interaction with clients and operators, every interview we host on the podcast and even my personal experiences as a patron with insider knowledge reveals yet another layer of nuance. 

​

What continues to surprise me is the influx of new talent and ideas coming at the industry from various directions. Recently, we spoke with an Ivy League collegiate team developing a parking app. We also recently had a student reaching out for an internship over the summer at the encouragement of her professor. Academia is taking note and encouraging exploration of opportunities in this evolving field. It is exciting but comes with a bit of hesitation from teams like ours here at TPN.  

​

The juxtaposition of industry veterans and eager newcomers is fascinating. On one hand, you have decades of operational wisdom, knowledge, and unwritten core values. On the other, a flood of new technologies and fresh perspectives challenging the existing condition. The pace of change is breakneck, and the impact is undeniable. We are experiencing a transformation that’s evident to both seasoned professionals and newcomers alike.

 

So, how do we find the equipoise? 

​

How do we remain rooted in our identity as a service industry while embracing innovation and growth? This is the delicate balance we must continually assess. We can’t afford to lose the heart of what has made this industry work for so long: service, dependability and accountability. 

​

Another important internal conversation we’ve been having at TPN is around standardization. As the industry becomes more technologically advanced, how do we ensure consistency in the patron experience? Traditionally a parker pulled up to a gate, pushed a button, took a ticket and then repeated that process to exit. That is changing and the user experience can now take many different forms. As an industry, can we agree on common service principles, operational benchmarks, and communication standards that make parking more intuitive for users? 

At its core, parking is about service, access, and accountability. As we move forward, let’s keep welcoming new voices while simultaneously asking the important questions of all service providers. From Operators and Managers, Equipment vendors and E-Commerce vendors, Consultants and Advisors may we always remember where we came from and why we do what we do.