Parking That Works: Why Tourist Towns Must Embrace Collaboration with Business
In a thriving tourist town, it’s easy to focus on the visitors. After all, they’re the ones filling shops, booking rooms, dining out, and fueling the local economy. But behind every vibrant downtown and every memorable experience is an ecosystem of local businesses and employees—the people who keep the lights on, the doors open, and the city humming.
If these businesses can’t function, neither can the town.
And yet, when it comes to parking policy, many communities unintentionally sideline the very people who keep the visitor experience alive. It’s not uncommon to see resident needs take center stage—and they absolutely should be protected—but when parking strategy becomes one-sided, the whole system suffers.
Tourist towns do not succeed without the businesses that serve the tourists. Period.
The Most Successful Towns Know This
They don’t treat business owners and staff as an afterthought. They bring them to the table. They ask questions like:
How do your employees get to work?
What are your customers saying about their parking experience?
Could shared-use agreements, validation programs, or remote lots support your operations?
And then—they listen. These towns build parking systems that are collaborative by design, not just politically convenient.
One-Sided Policy Creates Imbalance
It’s a hard truth: when employees are forced to park in overflow areas, when shops lose customers due to poor turnover, or when workers are ticketed just trying to make a living—morale, retention, and local business health all decline.
That ripple effect impacts residents too. Fewer workers means longer waits. Struggling businesses mean fewer local options. And as business vibrancy dims, so does the charm and vitality of the destination itself.
Parking policy can never be an "us vs. them" game. It has to be a "we" strategy.
Collaboration Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s the Only Way Forward.
The best parking programs are created with a shared vision.
✅ Residents get reliable, protected access to their neighborhoods.
✅ Employees have affordable, accessible options—ideally remote or permit-based.
✅ Business owners can count on turnover, visibility, and customer convenience.
✅ Visitors enjoy a seamless, intuitive experience from arrival to departure.
These outcomes don’t happen by accident. They happen through deliberate, ongoing collaboration between cities and the business community. They happen when city leaders see merchants, not just as tax contributors, but as core partners in shaping a successful town.
Technology Makes It All Work
Modern parking tech has revolutionized what’s possible:
Real-time space availability and wayfinding apps reduce congestion.
License plate recognition (LPR) streamlines enforcement and removes guesswork.
Resident and employee permit portals bring fairness and automation.
Dynamic pricing and occupancy data allow cities to adjust in real time.
But here’s the key: tech only works when it’s implemented in partnership—when cities engage business owners to align on hours, pricing tiers, validation programs, and communication.
You can’t digitize your way out of dysfunction. But with collaboration, tech becomes the enabler—not the enemy.
Tourist Towns Can’t Afford Disconnection
Parking is the connective tissue of a town. It links people to places, locals to their homes, workers to their jobs, and visitors to the experiences that bring them back. When managed collaboratively, it drives loyalty, prosperity, and peace of mind.
If we want destination towns to thrive—not just survive—we must lead with unity, not division.
Because a tourist town that doesn’t support its businesses isn’t sustainable.
And a parking strategy that isn’t collaborative isn’t going to work.
Let’s build systems that support everyone who makes our towns great.
Let’s do it together.
