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IN SHORT
IN
short Highlights from the IPMI Blog
Ready for more? Read IPMI’s blog every business day in your daily Forum digest email or at parking-mobility.org/ blog. Have something to say? Send post submissions to editor Kim Fernandez at fernandez@parkingmobility.org.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion In The Age of Mobility
By Marcía L. Alvarado, PE
For as long as it’s been around, urban planning has failed to sufficiently consider diversity, equity, inclusion, and impact. Historically “groundbreaking” urban planning trends, however well-intentioned, negatively impacted and disrupted the lives of marginalized groups. Although implemented 100 years ago, exclusionary zoning laws created to promote segregation of race and class are still used today. Racial disparities can be observed in redlining practices, land development, and transportation. This leads to issues like “food deserts,” gentrification, lack of access to adequate healthcare, clean water, and air. Ensuring Black and brown neighborhoods have access to the same resources as more affluent communities is beyond overdue.
In transportation planning, the FederalAid Highway Act of 1956 was especially harmful to minority neighborhoods by destroying them and making way for the interstate highway system. As a result, more than one million low-income Americans were displaced— mostly Black, Indigenous, and
people of color. As we find ourselves on the cusp of a new urban planning movement—mobility—it’s imperative that we understand how planning initiatives marginalize certain communities. With a shift from intent to impact, we can be sure not to repeat history as we guide the mobility movement. Mobility planning is about keeping people moving safely and efficiently, but it’s also about economic development and improving quality of life for the very communities in which we design, develop and plan. Specifically, mobility planning cannot achieve safety and efficiency without also addressing its past and present contributions to systemic disparities among Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Serving these communities means learning their specific needs so we can provide what local residents and businesses need now. Only then can we assure the parking and mobility plans we are creating promote diversity, equity, inclusion and consider impact over intent. MARCÍA L. ALVARADO, PE, is structural market leader with WGI. She will present on this topic at the 2021 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, in Tampa, Fla.
Industry Disconnect: Cutting Edge vs. Reality
By Kevin White, CAPP, AICP
I fear there may be a disconnect developing between a lot of parking and mobility industry discourse around new, “cutting edge” technology and many municipalities and parking operations across the United States and beyond. It seems every time I turn around, there are new vendors and technologies and solutions flooding the parking and mobility market. The creativity and innovation are welcome; new ideas, people, and technologies are essential for continued industry growth and advancement. That said, it’s dizzying at times, and we professionals work to stay on top of all the developments.
New technologies, cameras, sensors, apps, “big data,” “integrated solutions,” curb management, micro-mobility, and other topics have been en vogue in our industry in recent years. We all love talking about and learning about what’s new, what’s cutting edge. These topics are essential, but I fear that industry discussion and solutions being proposed are aimed predominantly at the upper “1 percent” of cities and operators—large, dense, urban, and multi-modal cities or other large operators with dedicated staff, expertise, and resources.
Our dialogue and solutions presume a certain level of parking and mobility expertise, a certain level of resources and operational
savvy to even be able to consider or understand the new ideas, new ways of managing curb space or parking and mobility systems, or the new latest and greatest technology. I think we are failing to speak to the lion’s share of the municipalities and parking operators across this country: the medium and smaller communities that still need to manage parking and mobility systems but do not have dedicated staff, specific parking knowledge or training, or are constrained to complete fundamental management tasks, who may not collect parking and mobility data or even know what to collect or how to use it. These communities may also struggle with limited resources and staff time. We need to do more as industry professionals to create a dialogue, a message, and a set of solutions that reaches the masses and addresses a range of issues with customized solutions. KEVIN WHITE, CAPP, AICP, is a parking and mobility consultant with Walker Consultants.
By Matt Penney, CAPP
Baylor Parking Services has a heart for service. Staff greet customers with a smile and a hearty hello, Texas style–say howdy to everyone.
As friendly as our office likes to be, there is a phrase that we use that sets a boundary for our customer service efforts. “When emotions don’t match the situation, hide behind policy.” The phrase is intended to be a clear trigger for when to change our approach to an encounter.
In “Blink,” Malcolm Gladwell refers to this instinctual recognition as “thin slicing.” Experienced staff won’t be able to explain why a specific encounter is different, but it will be a gut instinct. Something is off.
Until this mystery is resolved, slow the interaction down. Go into a mode that strictly follows your policies and procedures. This protects your staff both legally and emotionally. It
also provides time for underlying issues to reveal themselves. This semester, Baylor was surprised to find out a student was living out of their car. In another instance, we learned that a towed car belonged to a federal agency based in New York and the driver may not have informed their supervisor the vehicle would be used to help their daughter move to Texas. The unusual emotion is not usually anger and the underlying issue is not always bad. Good customer service is rooted in understanding a customer’s needs. When staff recognize that a typically successful course of action is producing an atypical reaction, hit the pause button. This mismatch of emotions to a situation means you need to get more information before proceeding. MATT PENNEY, CAPP, is director of parking & transportation services at Baylor University and an IPMI industry trainer.
Monday, November 29, 2021
28th Annual William Voigt CAPP Classic Golf Tournament & Pro Lessons
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Opening General Session & Shoptalks
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Education, Shoptalks, & All Day Expo
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Awards General Session, Education, & All Day Expo
Register at discounted rates before November 15
SESSIONS
Explore the complete education program at ipmi.parking-mobility.org.
Sessions include:
Closing the Gap Between Autonomous Vehicles and Curbside Management Curb Lane Management: Practical Implementation and Challenges Getting Your Balance Back: Intentional Design to Boost Inclusion and Better Manage the Transient Journey Not Your Grandfather’s Parking Garage: How New Vehicle Technologies Are Changing Parking Design Protecting Your Most Precious Asset: Your People Take Us to the Ballpark, Friction-free: The Miami Marlins’ Free Flow, Frictionless Event Parking The Garage as Gas Station of the Future: Preparing for Electric Vehicles
SHOPTALKS
Connect with colleagues and peers to share your unique experiences, solutions, and challenges--and make new connections:
Airports Hospitals, Medical Centers, & Healthcare Institutions Municipalities, Cities, & Downtowns University & Campus Operations
Advancing the Frontline: Beyond Basic Training EVs, Charging Infrastructure, and Fleets: Prepping for an Electrified Future Legal Matters: Navigating Risk & Reward for your Operation Making Parking More Accessible for Everyone: Equity Matters More than Ever Managing the Dynamic Curb: Balancing Demands & Commercial Loading Sustainability: Connecting TDM, Parksmart, & the Evolving Mobility Hub Taming the (Parking) Beast: Event Management Best Practices The Devil is in the Data: Using APDS Specifications & Tools for Efficiency & Innovation
