The Next Chapter of Parking: A Conversation with Clyde Wilson

If you’re a regular reader of Clyde’s Industry Insights, you may notice a different voice this month. This is Tory, not Clyde! While Clyde will continue sharing his perspective on the parking industry, we’re changing things up every few months by inviting a member of our team to sit down with him, explore a timely topic, and share highlights from the conversation.  For this edition, I asked him a question with implications for communities, businesses, and travelers alike: As technology changes how people move, what role will parking play next?”

Fresh Insights from a Newcomer to the Industry

As someone new to the parking industry, I am still learning to see parking as more than just a space. I am realizing that parking connects people to workplaces, businesses, healthcare, and the broader transportation system. To be completely honest, I’ve often taken parking for granted. When a parking experience goes smoothly, it’s easy to overlook, but when it doesn’t, it can affect an entire trip.  The more I immerse myself in this ever-changing industry, the more I recognize how much it shapes our everyday lives.

Before interviewing Clyde Wilson, I read his 2015 article, “An Industry in Transition,” recently republished as “Technology Changes. Leadership Endures.” It felt like opening a time capsule. Clyde described an industry being reshaped by technology while arguing that leadership would determine how it responded. Eleven years later, Clyde returned to the topic in a new article, “Fewer Trips, Not Fewer Cars”, this time exploring the role of autonomous vehicles. Reading his perspectives from two different moments offered an interesting look at what has changed and what has endured.

Both articles reflect a rapidly changing industry, but they also carry a consistent message: technology may influence the future of parking, while people and leadership will ultimately shape it. That idea prompted me to ask Clyde how his perspective has evolved and what he sees on the road ahead. Here’s a peek into our conversation. 

Looking back at your 2015 article, how did the industry’s progress compare with what you expected?

Clyde says parking has changed faster than he expected in some ways and more slowly in others. He says the industry has made more progress than he anticipated in managing parking and serving customers. Parking companies, universities, and municipalities have generally handled the transition well, including adapting to the different needs of customers who are comfortable with new technology and those who need more help. The slower progress has been in building a fully connected transportation experience - a gap that becomes clearer in the next part of the conversation.

How has technology changed parking’s role within the transportation infrastructure over the past decade? 

Clyde sees parking as the first or last stop in a trip, making it an essential part of the transportation system. More than 20 years ago, he expected phone apps to let people pay for parking and buy bus or rail tickets as part of one connected journey. Although the technology has advanced, those systems still aren’t fully integrated. That gap shows how much work remains to make parking feel like a seamless part of a trip, rather than a separate step that travelers must plan around. And because many people lack a practical bus or train option, he believes parking will remain necessary and become even more important as transportation changes. 

What happens to the rest of the transportation system when parking is poorly planned or insufficient for actual demand? 

Clyde’s concern is that reducing parking without understanding actual demand could make restaurants, stores, and other destinations harder to reach. When people struggle to park, the consequences may extend beyond the parking facility. Parking challenges can influence which businesses people visit and how easily they get where they need to go. He doubts that people who can’t find a space will automatically switch to transit, especially where other options are limited. That is why he sees local travel patterns and available transportation choices as important parts of any parking decision. Clyde points to changes in parking and transportation since the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons to reassess demand. In his view, the industry needs to revisit parking requirements developed decades ago and plan for the spaces people need today.

As technology changes how we travel, will parking become less important—or will it simply take on a different role?

Clyde explains that walking or biking isn’t practical for every trip and that many cities lack transit networks that can replace daily car travel. He also sees the cost of expanding rail as a major obstacle. Although municipalities have faced pressure to invest in metro rail systems, Clyde believes these projects are not practical for many communities because of their cost and limited reach.

In his view, Uber, Lyft, and autonomous taxis may change how people use parking without sharply reducing demand. Ride services could help older adults get to appointments and let downtown workers make short trips without moving their parked cars. However, Clyde expects most commuters to keep driving, so he believes parking will remain essential over the next decade.

The Road Ahead

My discussion with Clyde left me thinking about how much parking could change over the next ten years. New technology and shifts in transportation will shape how people move and where they park, but those changes won’t happen on their own. Communities will still need to understand how people travel, what options they have, and what they need when they reach their destinations. The people working in this industry will help decide what comes next. Clyde’s perspective reminded me that looking ahead means staying curious about new possibilities while paying attention to how people travel today. As someone still finding my place in parking, I’m excited to keep learning and to be a part of the conversation!