A New Era of Connected Travel Infrastructure, Visitor Engagement, and Hyperlocal Discovery
Brought to you by A Lot Media and MetroClick — pioneers in interactive digital solutions for modern cities and campuses.
Introduction: From Parking Lots to Digital Gateways
Parking is no longer just a place to leave your car. Forward-thinking destinations and business districts are transforming these spaces into dynamic information hubs that help visitors seamlessly navigate and explore local offerings.
By layering smart technologies, interactive displays, and connected apps, parking areas can become entry points to entire communities, creating new pathways for local economic growth. When visitors can easily find their way, discover local businesses, and engage with nearby attractions, they’re more likely to spend more time — and money — in the area.
Building on our recent MetroClick post on transforming parking experiences (Transforming Parking: Enhancing Visitor Experiences), this article explores how digital information hubs drive visitor awareness of local resources and directly support economic development goals for communities and business districts.
Enhancing Navigation and Wayfinding
For many visitors, parking is their first point of contact with a destination. By integrating digital wayfinding and navigation tools directly into parking infrastructure—through interactive kiosks, QR codes, or mobile integrations—visitors can:
- Quickly orient themselves within a destination.
- Receive turn-by-turn walking directions to shops, attractions, and restaurants.
- Access multi-modal navigation (walking, shuttle, bike routes) from a single interface.
Example: A visitor parks downtown and immediately receives a map guiding them to a local coffee shop, boutique, or event venue—all without needing a separate app.
Improved navigation means less time spent searching and more time engaging with local businesses, fueling downtown vitality and helping retain visitor dollars locally.
Smart Parking Availability & Real-Time Data
Nothing frustrates visitors more than circling for parking. Smart parking solutions integrated into information hubs can:
- Display real-time availability of parking spaces.
- Suggest alternative nearby lots or garages.
- Provide pricing and time limit info before a visitor even steps out of their car.
These solutions reduce friction, improve the visitor experience, and free up time for exploring local businesses and cultural assets. More efficient parking also helps increase turnover and foot traffic, two critical factors in supporting local economic development strategies.
Case Study: FastPark at the Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and BWI airports
Combined, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and BWI serve more than 100 million travelers annually – many of whom take advantage of airport parking. FastPark teamed up with ALM and MetroClick to deploy digital toppers at their locations that communicate rates, dynamic changes throughout the day, and key announcements/messages of relevant interest to those travelers. Using these digital assets to elevate traveler experience is just one way FastPark is putting Customer Service first and Parking second. Say hello to a smoother, more informative parking experience!
Location-Based Maps: Unlocking Local Experiences
Interactive, location-aware maps at parking hubs or via mobile devices can act as digital concierges, highlighting nearby attractions, retailers, restaurants, and services. Key features might include:
- Custom-curated itineraries or walking tours.
- Event calendars synced with local happenings.
- Geo-triggered notifications that surface nearby offers or experiences.
This is where another partner of our’s, Visit Widget, can play a powerful role — integrating dynamic, location-based content directly into parking hub interfaces. With Visit Widget’s customizable itineraries and interactive mapping, destinations can amplify exposure for local businesses, helping circulate visitor spending throughout the community.
Integrations with 3rd Party Apps & Services
Seamless integrations are critical. Digital parking hubs can enhance their functionality by syncing with:
- Travel and planning apps for curated local experiences and maps.
- Transportation and ride-share apps for easy mobility.
- Event ticketing platforms for on-the-spot bookings.
- Local business loyalty apps for special offers.
By connecting the digital ecosystem of local commerce and tourism, these integrations drive new revenue streams, increase visitor engagement, and support local businesses as part of broader economic development initiatives.
Case Study: Downtown Tempe
As an urban and walkable destination for outdoor adventure, foodie experiences, an energetic nightlife, cultural arts, and iconic events, Downtown Tempe is a premier location for more than 2.4 million visitors each year. They teamed up with ALM and MetroClick to deploy semi-outdoor kiosks in several of their parking garages to communicate key announcements and messages of potential interest to these visitors in addition to dynamic parking rates throughout the day. Downtown Tempe uses these digital assets to elevate traveler experience while helping them feel more connected to local resources and the community.
Benefits for Communities & Visitors
- Increased foot traffic to local businesses and attractions.
- Reduced congestion through smart navigation and parking optimization.
- Enhanced visitor satisfaction, leading to longer stays and return visits.
- More data and insights for municipalities and tourism boards to shape better experiences.
- Strengthened economic impact through increased spending and visibility for local enterprises.
When parking is positioned as an active tool in the economic development toolkit, it ceases to be just infrastructure—it becomes a strategic asset for growth.
Conclusion: The Parking Lot as the First Welcome Mat
Parking isn’t just infrastructure—it’s an opportunity for engagement and economic activation. By merging smart technology, interactive wayfinding, and local resource integration, communities can turn parking spaces into powerful digital gateways that enrich every visit and strengthen the local economy.
This vision aligns closely with how MetroClick’s interactive display solutions and A Lot Media’s OOH advertising tools can transform the visitor journey from the moment they park—turning passive spaces into active economic engines.
Want to learn how your local venue, city, or business district can activate its parking assets as digital information hubs to boost local economic impact? Contact MetroClick and ALM to get started.
👉 Learn More About Smart Parking Engagement Solutions at MC Travel & Transportation
👉 Explore Hyperlocal OOH Advertising Opportunities at ALM Media
