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Donald Shoup

Death of a Legend: Donald Shoup, Parking Reformer

The OG of understanding how "free parking" isn't free has died.

Photo: Charles Komanoff|

Donald Shoup in Paris in 2010.

We have just learned that urban planning guru Donald Shoup, author of the seminal text, "The High Cost of Free Parking," died Friday at age 86.

We learned about his passing from the Parking Reform Network:

Rest in peace, Professor Shoup (1938-2025)We will keep up the good work.Share your stories and thoughts with the parking reform community here: parkingreform.org/donald-shoup

Parking Reform Network (@parkingreform.org) 2025-02-08T04:52:56.279Z

We'll soon have a full tribute to this quirky and beloved academic — one of the few members of the vaunted academy whose work not only changed people's understanding of something they never bothered to think about, but also inspired generations of urbanists who anointed him Shoop Dogg — but for now, please review our decade-plus of coverage in which we was featured:

And don't miss this compendium of his greatest quotes, including, "It's unfair to have cities where parking is free for cars and housing is expensive for people."

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