Looking back at 2022, it seems like we all just burst out of our shells and couldn’t wait to get back to business, to get together, to talk nonstop—there seemed not to be enough social and business activities to go around. I felt like I was constantly in motion but loving it. I couldn’t get enough of the constant balls in the air, the constant dinging of my texts and emails and ringing of my phone. Now looking forward to 2023, I’ve had some time to reassess, time to evaluate the momentum, which brings me to what we are looking forward to, what we seem to be all talking about: sustainability.

We’ve heard the word sustainability for what seems like forever, and lately it seems to be the “it” word—the buzz word. What does it really mean and how does parking fit into sustainability? Sustainability is a comprehensive term that includes so many things: actions that connect and represent supporting local businesses; managing land use; creating and promoting vibrant cultural, arts and historic preservation programs; implementing safe, equitable, accessible and affordable transportation and mobility options while reducing carbon emissions; managing waste and water usage; developing energy efficiency programs and projects; promoting health and wellness; enhancing diverse housing options; and increasing awareness to support ending homelessness.

Clearly, I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time. It keeps coming up, now more than ever. It means so many things to so many people. The word sustainability seems to be everywhere…seriously, everywhere.

To me, sustainability means strengthening inclusivity, celebrating differences and resiliency, creating vibrant communities and organizations, and providing opportunities through sustainable actions that build the economy, support equity, respect the environment, and engage the community through connected partnerships.

How does parking fit into all of this? Well, look around you at the IPMI community—we all lend a piece of ourselves, our organizations, our businesses to sustainability. In so many ways, parking is the glue that keeps our communities together and moving forward.

We are an industry of partners and collaborators, leading the way to breaking down siloes and integrating verticals to make things work, whether it be through creating value added solutions, amazing technology, or smiling, responsive customer service and operations. This industry touches all sustainability components.

We do this through our incredible partnerships. Partnerships are the only way our world moves forward. We need to connect with people who have different skill sets and different strengths; we need to be open to different ideas, opinions, and views; we need to build relationships based on equity; we need to challenge each other. To create a sustainable world, we absolutely need to work together. There is no one size fits all. We all bring something to the table. 

Let’s continue to ride the wave that we jumped into with eyes wide open in 2023; let’s always create sustainability through partnerships. We won’t be here forever, but our world will. Let’s make parking the sustainability that goes down in history. Happy New Year!