From the Editor

When I first came to IPMI just over a year ago, I must admit that “sustainable mobility” seemed like an oxymoron. In my mind, motor vehicles were the opposite of my vision of sustainability, so how could parking and mobility ever be sustainable?

In concept, sustainable activity seeks to fulfill the needs of the current population without compromising the needs of the future population, while balancing economic growth, care for the environment, and social and emotional well-being. The vehicles I envisioned emit pollutants that harm our health and contain greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Burning gasoline and diesel fuel also create harmful byproducts like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, benzene, and formaldehyde. These are the vehicles that parking and mobility industry is built on.

Sheesh. How can THAT be sustainable? The answer—it’s not.

As with many who do not fully understand the parking and mobility world, the vehicles I envisioned are not the future. Heck, they are not even the present. Parking and mobility is driven by the vehicles used to transport us from point A to point B—cars, trucks, buses, bikes, scooters, etc.—and those are in the midst of an unprecedented evolution. As the vehicles evolve to become more socially and environmentally conscious, our parking and mobility facilities and resources need to evolve to continue to serve them.

From electric vehicles to a more effective use of the curb, from the environmental and usability benefits of LED lighting to the sustainable impacts of artificial intelligence, this April’s issue of Parking & Mobility covers the sustainability challenge from all angles. We discuss shared mobility, the importance of selecting the right EV systems for the right uses, and more.

We hope that each one of you reads something that sparks passion and creates avenues for discussions within your organizations. Because the separate words “sustainable” and “mobility” are now forever joined as SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY, to the betterment of us all.