I remember going through the Spaceship Earth attraction at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida as a kid. I loved knowing we were moving around in the huge golf-ball shaped sphere and taking the journey from the dawn of humanity through to a future that I had never imagined. My favorite part was when you saw the real-life people (well, mannequins anyway) talking on a “video” call, and then you swung around to see the reverse on the other side. Remember that part? I was fascinated—how is that possible? How can we be seeing the person we are talking to on the phone? Like on a television? Back in those days we only had land lines for phones, not even cell phones yet, and FaceTime was not even a twinkle in anyone’s eye. 

I was hooked. I rode Spaceship Earth over and over, captivated by a future that I could not even comprehend. The first time I saw FaceTime, it was immediate—Spaceship Earth. It happened. It took decades to catch up, but it finally did. Finally, the future was now.

I think about that a lot these days. I have not been to Epcot in a long time, and I wonder what that attraction looks like now. What is the next glimpse into the future? What is the next prediction of what our lives will be? 

This issue of Parking & Mobility has a dual focus, both giving us a glimpse into the future of our industry. We will be announcing the winners of the 2022 Awards of Excellence, shining the spotlight on the projects that lead the field and set the bar for parking and mobility delivery.

This issue of Parking & Mobility also focuses on re-thinking cars. What is the future of our most common form of transport? From electric to connected and autonomous vehicles, from parking guidance systems to apps that can take us from our living rooms to any destination with all the stops in-between, I often feel like I am on that same ride again, in Spaceship Earth on the people-mover with the air conditioning blasting on me, being shuffled from exhibit to exhibit showing me what the future is going to look like. 

And it is awesome. The future is now. Welcome to the re-examination of cars. I appreciate you joining me for the ride.

stock.adobe.com / kirkikis