The High Cost of Free Parking, Updated Edition

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 90 ratings

Price: 30.09

Last update: 02-12-2025


About this item

In this no-holds-barred treatise, Donald Shoup argues that free parking has contributed to auto dependence, rapid urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Planners mandate free parking to alleviate congestion but end up distorting transportation choices, debasing urban design, damaging the economy, and degrading the environment.

Ubiquitous free parking helps explain why our cities sprawl on a scale fit more for cars than for people, and why American motor vehicles now consume one-eighth of the world's total oil production. But it doesn't have to be this way. Shoup proposes new ways for cities to regulate parking - namely, charge fair market prices for curb parking, use the resulting revenue to pay for services in the neighborhoods that generate it, and remove zoning requirements for off-street parking. Such measures, according to the Yale-trained economist and UCLA planning professor, will make parking easier and driving less necessary.

Join the swelling ranks of Shoupistas by picking up this book today. You'll never look at a parking spot the same way again.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Bruce
    5.0 out of 5 stars Important book, please read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2014
    This book should be required reading for anybody who drives, or walks where cars are driven. This book does a brilliant job of pointing out the many distortions and problems caused by the almost universal expectation that parking should be free. Parking, in cities, is an incredibly valuable resource but because it is often free or underpriced it is used inefficiently. This ultimately benefits no one. The crazy (illogical, unjustified, counter productive) parking requirements in most cities zoning laws force developers to build massive amounts of parking to justify the powerful demand for free parking. If chocolate/liquor/cocaine were free then they would be overused and there would be shortages, so we shouldn't be surprised that the same thing happens with parking.

    My only complaint about this book is that it is too big. I wish that it was half the size with better summaries and less redundancy. But, well worth getting, reading, and sharing.
  • Karen M.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A truly important book.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2018
    A superb book that every city planner and traffic engineer should have to read. Professor Shoup is the acknowledged expert on parking, and his writing clarifies his research and his arguments for the professional and novice alike. Anyone who cares about how our urban areas can be made better should read.
  • Mike Chlanda
    5.0 out of 5 stars well researched and documented
    Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2019
    Lot to absorb - for a data geek like me (getting PhD in data science, dissertation on London congestion pricing) this book was uber-helpful and a good read. I am def. a Shoupista now.
  • Erica R. Mandell
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great advice and thoughtful research
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2013
    This book came recommended by planning professional, which I am not. The book is written in plain language and offers insightful solutions for structuring paid municipal parking. I will also be recommending this book to my colleagues and local public officials who are responsible for pricing downtown parking.
  • Danny
    5.0 out of 5 stars If you live in a city, town, or county, and/or pay any taxes, Parking Policy effects you, even if you don't drive.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2014
    Building parking costs our municipalities, businesses we shop at, schools we attend (or pay tuition at for our kids!) a lot of money! Perhaps $5K for a standard, uncovered surface asphalt space at your "local" strip mall, supermarket etc. adds up very quickly when the municipalities FORCE private owners to build huge parking lots. Drivers like the "free" parking, but who really pays? We all do. If you bike to the Cooperative market, you're paying for parking in higher grocery prices, if you walk to the farmer's market, you're paying higher prices for your fresh veggies due to expensive parking. This isn't just about "parking" it's about LAND USE, about ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS, about EQUITY---what does your city spend money on and who does it help? what policies are in place that make driving places easy, is not supportive of public transit nor makes conditions safe and pleasurable for walking and biking? I challenge you to read through the first chapter and not want to talk to your public officials and tell them about this.
    What development projects are getting denied or can't be built because of "minimum parking requirements" (forcing owners to build extra large parking lots they don't need)?
  • anonymous
    5.0 out of 5 stars The bible on Parking
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2014
    This enormous and masterful book is the definitive study on parking. It covers way more than most people will ever need to know but if you are in anyway involved in civic issues, transportation, or urban development, then this is the book to have.
  • Joe Melaragno
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic book that every American should read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2013
    Donald Shoup's master work explains the cause of many of America's problems - free parking. He very clearly outlines the history of the issue and offers a three-pronged solution. This book should be required reading for all Americans.
  • B.A. Klapper
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating but Incomplete
    Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2022
    Sadly I ended up knocking off a star for my review of this book for a couple reasons. First the author relies on a lot of suppositions for several chapters because his proposals had yet to be implemented. While understandable it does mean there's a lot of guesswork involved. Like a lot of my experience with economics the formulas are very pretty but rely upon a staggering number of assumptions. I would have liked to see more hard data.

    My other issue is despite this being an updated edition, most of it dates from 2004 with significant amounts of the data being even older. In the past twenty years we have seen some changes but also a lot of business as usual. I would have liked to know if Shoup's proposals had been accepted or implemented anywhere and what the results have been. Smartphones didn't even exist in 2004 and now we can pay for parking (or get a ride through a car sharing service) with our phones. Clearly there have been significant changes but our problems with parking probably have not changed much as well. I just wish there was more modern data included.

    Overall I think the book is good but there are definitely parts you can skip.

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