Donald Shoup: The man who made parking 'sexy'

UCLA looks back at the career of Professor Donald Shoup

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Donald Shoup, a longtime member of our UCLA ITS community and a prolific intellectual whose work reshaped the way we think about parking and cities.

A distinguished research professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Don dedicated his career to understanding the crucial link between parking policy, transportation, and land use. His groundbreaking book, The High Cost of Free Parking, changed how cities around the world approach parking, inspiring policies that promote economic vitality, sustainability, and better urban design.

As much as academics can be celebrities, Don was one. He built a legion of followers — planners, policymakers and everyday city dwellers known as Shoupistas — who found inspiration in his work. Yet, despite his influence, he remained humble, endlessly curious and passionate about making his research accessible to everyone, not just scholars and policymakers.

As editor of ACCESS Magazine, and later Transfers Magazine, and author of more than 100 public articles, he had an extraordinary ability to translate research into real-world solutions.

Don, who served as the second director of UCLA ITS, often joked that parking was the lowest rung of topics in academic research — but he was just as quick to point out how “sexy” parking policy could be. In fact, that well-worn joke became a signature part of Don’s repertoire, a reflection of the wit and charm that made his work so engaging.

After five decades of dogged advocacy, cities and even entire states have adopted the policies he championed. We’ll miss you, Don — but we’ll make sure your work carries on.

Donation

Consider making a gift to the Donald and Pat Shoup Endowed Fellowship in Urban Planning to support the education of future parking leaders at UCLA.

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