Donald Shoup Changed Parking. Is It Time to Rethink the Data?

Episode Overview In this special bonus episode, Krista Olien, Leigh Thomas, and Clyde Wilson examine Donald Shoup's influential book, *The High Cost of Free Parking*, and its impact on parking policy and planning. The team discusses how Shoup helped bring national attention to parking while questioning whether statistics drawn from localized, decades-old research should still guide today's decisions. They explore how license plate recognition, mobile payments, reservations, rideshare, delivery services, navigation apps, and changing travel behavior have transformed parking since the book's publication. Rather than rejecting Shoup's work, they encourage listeners to use it as a framework for asking better questions and validating ideas with current local data. Why This Matters Parking influences transportation, development, revenue, and customer experience. Applying outdated or localized statistics too broadly can lead to policies that no longer reflect how people travel or park today. This episode encourages parking professionals to question assumptions, study their own markets, and make decisions using current operational data. What You'll Learn - Why Shoup's ideas remain influential in parking and urban planning - Which commonly quoted statistics deserve closer examination - How technology and customer behavior have changed since 2005 - Why local research should drive parking decisions Key Takeaways - Use Shoup's work as a framework, not unquestioned fact - Local parking policy requires local data - Technology has transformed how customers find, reserve, enter, and pay for parking - Every operation should understand its own demand and customer behavior Episode Breakdown **00:00** Why this conversation matters **02:40** Respecting Shoup's ideas while questioning the data **04:00** How parking has changed since 2005 **07:45** Rideshare, delivery, and changing curb demand **10:50** The limits of localized research **14:00** The "circling" statistics **16:30** Parking, housing, and urban planning **22:00** Why European models don't fit every U.S. city **26:25** Curb pricing and municipal challenges **29:55** Revisiting the 30 percent circling claim **33:30** Navigation apps, reservations, and today's parker **36:45** Research, bias, and local decision-making **40:00** Final thoughts About Donald Shoup Donald Shoup was a UCLA professor of urban planning whose 2005 book, *The High Cost of Free Parking*, reshaped conversations about parking policy. His work inspired generations of planners, public officials, and transportation professionals. Many advocates of his parking philosophies became known as **"Shoupistas,"** a term commonly used for supporters of his approach to parking reform. About the Hosts **Krista Olien** – President of TPN Consulting. **Leigh Thomas** – Project Manager specializing in data analysis and operational performance. **Clyde Wilson** – Founder of TPN Consulting with more than four decades of parking industry experience. Listen & Follow Catch the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with TPN Consulting Visit: https://www.parkingnetwork.com Follow TPN on LinkedIn and Instagram for podcast updates and industry insights.