How the Rise of Technology Could Help Us Reclaim Our Paradise — Episode 015

Technology has changed the way we do pretty much everything in
our daily lives. With technology-based transportation and
convenience services such as Uber, Lyft, ZipCar, Instacart for
groceries and Amazon for basically everything else, the ways
people are getting around cities is changing drastically. These
services dramatically reduce the need for people to use their
personal vehicles, and this could mean a change in the future of
land use in urban areas.


In today’s episode, we chat with NRPA’s Vice President of Urban
and Government Affairs, Kevin O’Hara, about how this shift in how
people are getting around cities is causing the use of parking
lots to decline, and how that land can be used in other, more
environmentally friendly ways. He explains that this transition
into a “ride-sharing economy,” coupled with a complete waste of
urban space, provides a huge opportunity for increased land use
for parks and recreation in dense urban areas.


Converting these unused asphalt parking lots into parks, green
spaces or urban farms is a way that we can not only brighten our
communities and cities, but our future as well. Many people view
their favorite parks as their “paradise.” This could be our
opportunity to reclaim that paradise.