As soon as 2030, the trend toward fewer and smaller cars will mean a reduced need for wide roads and parking, reshaping cities and how people interact. Experts explored the implications at a recent interdisciplinary parking symposium in Arlington, Texas, co-sponsored by ULI North Texas.

Parking is a big issue in the Dallas/Fort Worth region, an area that 3.4 million more people are expected to call home between now and 2040, raising the total population to 10.6 million while adding 2.3 million more cars to clogged roadways. At an event in Dallas, land-use experts considered several solutions for a flexible future.

As cities become denser, the cost of high-density parking begins to pencil out for developers—which is when the development of parking that automatically stores and retrieves cars becomes attractive.