Remembering Donald Shoup (1938-2025)
Professor Donald Shoup passed away on February 6, 2025. Among many other significant achievements and honors he was a founding Advisory Board member of PRN.
Donald’s curiosity, intelligence, passion, generosity, and kindness allowed him not only to expose the critical problems with modern parking policy, but also to ignite and nurture a movement to change them and make the world a better place.
The Parking Reform Network wishes to provide our community with a place to share their stories and thoughts to remember and honor Donald.
Professor Shoup was a donor, member, and booster of PRN’s work. If you are so moved, you can honor his legacy and support the parking reform movement with a memorial donation.
I was a 26-year-old suburban newspaper reporter in 2007 when I heard about a crazy new book. I got The High Cost of Free Parking via interlibrary loan, emailed its author. To my surprise, he called right back & then gradually changed my life.
Dr. Shoup didn't have the answer to everything but by gum he had figured out one thing that HAD NEVER GODDAMN OCCURRED TO YOU. His theory of parking, the can't-unsee-it injustices of how we manage it, and how to fix them was elegant and practical. That's why it spread. It was miraculous and thrilling that, in his 70s and 80s, we got to watch with him as his theory started changing things. Here in Oregon we've worked about halfway through the lock, Don. I hope I'll live to see the key twist.
The world is made of small things, all interlocking. May we all be so lucky as to find one thing that matters, make it better, and watch our touch ripple out to change the world. Just a bit.
Dr. Shoup didn't have the answer to everything but by gum he had figured out one thing that HAD NEVER GODDAMN OCCURRED TO YOU. His theory of parking, the can't-unsee-it injustices of how we manage it, and how to fix them was elegant and practical. That's why it spread. It was miraculous and thrilling that, in his 70s and 80s, we got to watch with him as his theory started changing things. Here in Oregon we've worked about halfway through the lock, Don. I hope I'll live to see the key twist.
The world is made of small things, all interlocking. May we all be so lucky as to find one thing that matters, make it better, and watch our touch ripple out to change the world. Just a bit.