When I read The High Cost of Free Parking in 2008 I had long been interested in how to escape car dependence. But parking always seemed too hard. Donald Shoup showed me I was wrong and it changed my career trajectory. Spending time with him and Pat in Beijing in 2012 only strengthened my admiration for his thinking, humour, determination, kindness and willingness to mentor. I will miss him and the mentorship and encouragement he provided over 15 years.

Legend! May his impact live on though all of us.
His research and love for cities sparked my interest as a young undergrad urban studies student and supported my further education/career in transportation engineering and planning. He will be missed but never forgotten.

I was Don's editor for both his books. I want you to imagine what it took for me to persuade APA to publish the 800-page manuscript (no graphics yet) on parking, manuscript that was critical of past planning practice to turn it into The High Cost of Free Parking. But Don's brilliance, humor, and amazing research told me I had to do it, and Sylvia Lewis, who was the publisher of Planners Press at the time, backed my decision to go forward. I also knew no other publisher would take on work that resulted in an 800-page book. This was simply far too important a work on a number of levels to end up being left out of the planning canon.

Don was an absolute pleasure to work with, as many, many have attested to in the tributes I've read. What he did, I think, is start a revolution in parking science, and as Thomas Kuhn noted, the structure of such revolutions involves, first, breaking down rigid norms that have now been exposed to be seriously flawed, and, second, doing the work of convincing the practitioners of the science to see their job in a new way.

I cried on Thursday. Those years working with him and being with him at the conferences were just a lot of fun. His wife would sit with me when he was speaking. She was very grateful to APA for getting Don's work out into the world. Among my accomplishments as an editor, this is at the top, and I have Don to thank for it. RIP.

Reading Donald Shoup's book, The High Cost of Free Parking changed my life in ways I could never imagine. Every major life move after that was influenced by the insight that he spread, and the delicate and humorous way that he shared his information. It was the honor of my career to have him in the audience when I presented at the APA Conference on parking policy, and to have him tell me that he enjoyed it. His impact is immeasurable and his legacy continues. He made the world a better place. He is already missed.

Donald Shoup was such a kind, intelligent and original man. He influenced my education, life and career in profound ways. I taught course for him and did research under his guidance at UCLA. He made my experience there profound, and invited me back to talk to his students.
I also invited him to San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Santa Rosa to evaluate, educate, and assist leaders with city parking policy. He took me under his wing, wrote me letters of recommendation, and always stayed in touch. He cared deeply about people, the planet, fairness, equity and teaching the right way.
I will miss him dearly and be forever grateful for his critical thinking and generosity.

I learned of him now, through my amazing peers at the PhD of transportation technology and policy at UC Davis. As an activist for micromobility-former NUMO intern within the world resources Institute, it’s an HONOR to be presided by such great ones; visionaries, leaders, environmentalists. Long live his legacy! 🚴🏽‍♀️

The delightful eccentric Donald Shoup was our UCLA professor and intellectual coach for our incoming class of Urban Planning Masters students in the early 2000s. He made everything seem so simple and obvious and when he asked me to be his research assistant, I jumped at the chance to study his technique of framing complex issues in a way that made his solutions seem inevitable. I treasure those afternoons I was paid to take dictation for his book or read portions back so he could refine the way they bounced around the argument, and at every opportunity he clarified principles for me, basically training me to see the gnarled mess of cities as rational economic choices. I went into Urban Planning thinking like designer Frederick Law Olmstead and left knowing that the simple act of where you park cars, how much you charge, and what inane rules are enforced -- those arbitrary codes shaped your city far more than any architect or designer could! Don Shoup was our jovial grandmaster and I soon discovered he'd hired legions of students to help with his book -- and personally teach them through his lighthearted questioning -- inviting us to dinner parties at his house, attending our raucous beer parties on the roof, and becoming a lifelong friend. There will never be another quite so persuasive and charming as the "World's Greatest Expert" on parking... and how to think about complex problems, large and small. He was a beacon to hundreds and thousands.

Most people reading this already understand the profound impact of Donald Shoup’s work on cities, parking, and transportation. But his gift wasn't just his research—it was his wit, storytelling, and ability to make parking sexy. Shoup's writing and speaking was remarkably engaging and entertaining which was pivotal in bringing attention to parking policy and inspiring generations of Shoupista disciples.

Donald Shoup's careful and thorough writing solidified, contextualized, and grounded things about land use and social responsibility that I had known, almost intuitively, since I was child. Not only did his work provide knowledge, it provided comfort in knowing that that childhood inclination wasn't wrong just because it became a minority opinion as I got older. It takes a special kind of mind to not only distill the nuances of land use and policy, but to also talk about it in way that is entertaining and naturally zealous. Donald's work was, and will continue to be, a gift to anyone who has ever wanted a better world. May we be so fortunate as to be able to honor his memory and continue that advocacy for a better world. Donald, you will be missed, but certainly not forgotten.

Donald was the GOAT of City Planning in many ways. He influenced my thoughts on urban planning and parking reforms in growing communities. I won’t forget his counsel during the comprehensive land use planning effort for the City of Charlotte. Rest well Prof!

Donald Shoup was a part of a group of urbanists that had opened my eyes to the wider realm of economic impact that driving has on our society. He was a major aspect during the Covid years that I began to realize parts of our societal function that I never questioned or thought of much. He was and continues to be an inspiration, symbolizing the lifelong dedication for healthy, human-scale spaces, that we deserve. While his work only gained major traction in recent years, as is the time I gained interest, by all means was it influential. I believe he has shifted a generation urbanists on the path for a less car centric vision.

Donald Shoup was a man before his time but today we see the movement he has inspired. If any one person could have a tenth of the profound impact he has had on the planning community, it would be a job well done. Thank you for your work and rest in peace.

What can you say about someone who had such a heavy impact on a single industry? Donald Shoup’s work gave me the theory and structure I needed to continue my learning as a parking professional and urban planner. His insights were invaluable. We will miss you Shoup Doug.

His research and publications were very influential in the sustainable urban mobility community worldwide. We used many of his findings and his great way to convey them to tech many planning and transport proffesionals. We wilm keep trying to influence policy (is very hard in a car oriented world). His legacy continues.

To put it simply Donald Shoup was a giant in the field of planning livable communities, his work lives on everyday by enhancing the places that listened to him and acted on his advice. Thank you Professor Shoup, you helped make the world a better place.

Truly a legend. I never met Donald in person, but I apply his ideas regularly in my work trying to make my city safer for biking.

I am deeply saddened to learn of Don’s passing. He was one of my academic heroes, and his work has significantly influenced my research. Our last email exchange took place on December 9, when he mentioned he would send me a “Free Parking Isn’t Free” license plate frame—just one more example of his generosity and passion for the subject. Don made a profound impact on our field, and I know his legacy will continue to inspire scholars and practitioners for years to come.

I love reading all of these reflections. Over and over, they confirm the impressions I've always had of Dr. Shoup--he was brilliant and witty but also generous and kind, and lacked arrogance or self-importance. He struck me as one of those people who knows what's really important in life. I think his fundamental character, and not just his brilliance as an academic and writer, are why so many of us found him to be someone to look up to and admire. I wish I could have properly met him.

When I visited LA for the first time in many years, after becoming an urban planner and believer in the power of cities, I visited UCLA, and went over to Donald Shoup's office on the weekend, just to see it. His video for Vox on the high cost of free parking introduced me to so much -- really a whole new way of looking at the world. I owe so much of my passion to his work. Thank you.

Don Shoup took something seemingly so small and showed us what a huge impact it has on our daily lives, our health, the environment, and the economy. And in doing so, he turned all of us into his disciples. He gave us the vocabulary and the evidence to make our cities stronger. Every parking reform bill or zone change has Don Shoup's name on it in some form or fashion.

Sympathy goes out Shoup's family members. I was the recipient of his thoughts and ideas many years ago. His thinking and questioning shaped my advocacy for our slow snail paced change in America to think rationally about the Whole Transportation system, not just Interstate, but inclusive world. His questions of why do we have Christmas level needs of two weeks a year parking surrounding suburban malls remains a salient question all across America? How do we stimulate economic development in neighbors surrounding large stage/music venues? His old questions like these are still barely answered by our public stewards of DOTs and city scape planners. RIP.

I never met Donald Shoup, but that was the point. Everything I have heard about him is a smart, humble, pragmatic scholar who cared about the truth and making the world a better place. Donald's influence was because he distilled his research into simple steps that anyone could understand and use to take action. And even though I never met him, he has had a great influence on me and my city.

My condolences to Donald Shoup's family, friends, and to all of us who respected him without knowing him.

Two of the greatest honors of my career were having Donald Shoup attend my panel at the APA National Conference—telling us afterward how much he enjoyed the discussion—and receiving an email from him asking if I could take his place at a speaking engagement in Chicago. It was a joy to know him. He more or less transformed it into an agent for growth and progress through his unique balance of academic data, humor, and charm. No one will ever replace him and the world has forever changed because of him.

It may be cliche to say that a book was life-changing, but "The High Cost of Free Parking" truly was for me. I consider myself a decently bright college-educated urbanist, but The High Cost of Free Parking opened by eyes to an unseen world of hidden second-order effects and widespread consequences of a seemingly insignificant everyday occurrence: where to park cars. It literally opened up a whole new world for me of understanding how housing, economic vibrance, and urban quality of life are all impacted by billions of small patches of land devoted to cars. And how creating better cities can start by simple things like removing government restrictions. The mission now for all of us is to continue creating the better world Donald Shoup envisioned and worked so hard to bring to reality for all of us.

I only knew of his legacy through the Parking Reform Network. Thanks to everyone for the stories. We shall carry his mission on!

A few months ago we saw him at the next table in the faculty center with Particia. He was always friendly and interested. He said: Michael, if you want to get bicycle stuff done, the Olympics are your friend. He did enjoy the impact of his work. I remember he said: I am too old for the climate crisis. Just a few weeks ago I saw him again with Patricia at the entrance of the Public Policy building. Would be available to talk to my students, I asked. He was tempted, it seemed. Many years ago he shared a few Euphorbia stems for his collection of cacti. Thank you for your good work and support 

I had an inkling, but Don's work gave me the tools to know for a fact that parking policy would be a multi-solving key to reversing a huge number of supposedly intractable social problems. Without his work, I don't believe I could have convinced our city council to unanimously rescind all off-street parking requirements for all uses. He planted a seed that will continue growing to cover the Earth in green again. Thank you Don.

Donald Shoup was brilliant and visionary. He saw the importance of something ordinary (parking) and overlooked and devoted his professional career to studying it. I believe he will prove to be one of the most influential intellectuals of the 21st century.

He was also a lovely person: generous with his time, ideas and knowledge.

Rest in peace Professor Shoup.

Condolences to everyone at PRN, and to Donald Shoup's family and friends. It was years ago that I heard Shoup interviewed on Freakonomics where he talked about his book and the pilot program in San Francisco. Who knew parking could be so interesting? I put his book on one of my Amazon lists and there it sat for years until I got involved locally and parking seemed to be an issue with some residents. With Shoup's book always in the back of my mind, when my local council called on me to lead a parking committee, I finally got the audio version of The High Cost of Free Parking and spent 23 hours listening to all those popping P's. It was instrumental in teaching me about parking and changing my attitude about many other things. I joined the FB group which led me to Strong Towns and to other related podcasts where I heard about PRN. Of course I joined, and I have really enjoyed being a part of and contributing as best as I can. Cheers.

Donald Shoup's work is what inspired me to do my graduate thesis on curb use - how we currently use it, and what we could do instead. And when I was completing my research, I had a question that he was just about the best person in the world who would know the answer. I sent him an email, and he got back to me within a couple of hours with a thoughtful and helpful response. I hope that I can provide the same guidance and inspiration to future policy wonks, researchers, and practitioners as he did. He will be missed.

Donald Shoup was a fabulous man with a quick wit and an amazing ability to make hundreds of pages entertaining. He understood the core confusion from people when he noted the importance of parking, and rather than be insulted, knew how to joke about it. The interactions I had with him left me grateful to know, in passing, someone so wise and influential, yet so humble. A giant has left us; his legacy lives on.

Don Shoup was an extraordinary man. He was brilliant, genuinely humble, a great writer, his work incredibly impactful for the good, and he had a wonderful sense of humor; it's almost impossible to think of him without smiling. But what I will remember him for, what always struck me about him the most, is what a kind person he was. Writing about him in the past is hard. He will be sorely missed but his great work and the example he set will be with us always.