Going to a Game or Concert? The Parking Opportunity Cities Are Overlooking

Major events bring people together, but they also create intense demand for parking. Could underused spaces around venues help make the experience easier for visitors and more valuable for property owners?

The Event Starts Long Before You Reach Your Seat

A concert ticket, a big game or a night at a popular entertainment venue is supposed to be something to look forward to. Yet for many people driving to an event, the experience begins with a familiar question: where are we going to park? As thousands of people head toward the same destination within a relatively short period, nearby parking facilities fill up, traffic slows and drivers compete for the spaces closest to the entrance. The search for parking can become one of the most frustrating parts of an otherwise enjoyable evening.

Unlike the demand created by an ordinary workday, event parking is highly concentrated. A stadium, arena or concert venue may attract a large crowd for just a few hours, with most visitors arriving before the event and leaving within a relatively narrow window afterward. That creates a challenge for the surrounding area. Roads, parking facilities and neighbouring businesses must accommodate a temporary surge in activity that may be far greater than the usual demand at that time of day.

For drivers, the result can be a difficult choice between paying a premium for a convenient space, parking farther away and walking, or spending extra time searching for an alternative. Some people leave home much earlier than necessary because they are unsure how long parking will take. Others arrive stressed, miss part of the event or decide that driving is simply too much trouble. Parking may not be the reason people buy a ticket, but it can have a substantial influence on how they experience the event.

Why Event Parking Is Such a Difficult Problem

The first challenge is timing. Thousands of drivers may need a space within the same hour, even though the surrounding neighbourhood might have sufficient parking capacity during a typical day. The second is location. Drivers generally want to park within a reasonable walking distance of the venue, which concentrates demand in a relatively small area. The third is uncertainty. Visitors who do not know the neighbourhood may be unfamiliar with parking restrictions, available facilities or the best routes to reach them.

Event parking also creates a mismatch between the amount of infrastructure needed during peak periods and the amount that is required during the rest of the week. Building enough parking to accommodate every major event can be expensive and may leave facilities underused at other times. On the other hand, relying entirely on existing public lots can leave drivers with limited choices when demand exceeds capacity. The challenge is to find a practical balance between providing enough parking for major occasions and making effective use of the spaces that already exist.

There is no single solution that works for every venue. Public transit, shuttle services, walking routes, cycling infrastructure and official parking facilities all have important roles to play. But another opportunity deserves attention: the parking spaces that already exist on nearby private properties. Depending on their location and availability, these spaces could provide additional options for event visitors without requiring every new parking arrangement to involve a newly constructed lot.

The Parking Spaces That Sit Empty During Major Events

Consider the area around a busy sports venue. Residential streets, small businesses, office buildings, community facilities and other properties may sit within walking distance of the stadium or arena. Their parking needs vary. A business might be closed during an evening game. An office may have little need for its spaces after employees leave for the day. A homeowner may have an empty driveway while attending the same event or spending the evening elsewhere.

Not every one of these spaces can or should be opened to visitors. Some are reserved for customers, tenants or employees. Others may be subject to building rules, local restrictions, insurance conditions or practical access limitations. A space might also be too far from the venue to be useful, particularly if the walking route is inconvenient or unsuitable. The opportunity lies in identifying the spaces whose owners are willing and permitted to share them, at times when those spaces would otherwise remain unused.

The potential benefit is straightforward. An owner may be able to earn income from a space that would otherwise sit empty, while a visitor gains another place to consider before travelling to the event. A small business might find that sharing parking outside its operating hours creates an additional use for its property. A homeowner could make a driveway available for a few hours, provided the arrangement is allowed and does not interfere with their own needs. The same physical space can serve different people at different times.

From Hidden Supply to a Parking Marketplace

One of the biggest barriers to making private parking useful is discovery. A driver heading to a concert cannot easily know which nearby driveways or commercial spaces are available, who owns them or whether parking is permitted. Meanwhile, a property owner may be willing to share a space but have no convenient way to reach visitors looking for parking. Demand and supply can exist within the same neighbourhood without a practical connection between them.

This is where a parking marketplace can make a difference. Parker is built around connecting people who have available parking with drivers who need a place to park. Rather than limiting the search to traditional parking lots and garages, the marketplace model creates an opportunity for suitable privately owned spaces to become part of the options drivers can explore. For major events, that concept is especially relevant because demand is concentrated around a known destination at a known time.

The value of any individual space depends on practical details. How far is it from the venue? Is it available for the full duration of the event? Can the driver access it without blocking other vehicles? Are the parking terms clear, and is the arrangement permitted under applicable property rules and local regulations? These questions matter because a parking space is only useful when its location and conditions meet the driver's needs. Parker does not eliminate those considerations, but its underlying model reflects the opportunity to connect available spaces with people searching for them.

What Property Owners Could Gain

For homeowners and businesses near event venues, the arrival of thousands of visitors can represent more than extra traffic. It may also create an opportunity to make better use of available property. A driveway that sits empty for an evening or a commercial parking area that is not needed outside business hours could potentially serve event visitors, subject to the owner's permission and the applicable rules.

The opportunity will vary considerably by location. A property immediately beside a stadium may attract more interest than one several kilometres away, but proximity alone does not guarantee that sharing makes sense. Owners should consider whether vehicles can enter and exit safely, whether guests would disrupt neighbours or customers, and whether the property can be made available without compromising security or normal operations. They should also check insurance implications, municipal requirements and any restrictions imposed by a landlord, condominium corporation or other governing body.

Owners who decide to participate need clear expectations around timing and access. An event may run longer than scheduled, traffic may delay arrivals and visitors may need enough time to return to their vehicles after the final whistle or encore. Setting out the permitted parking period and any relevant instructions in advance helps reduce confusion. The objective is not simply to make a space available, but to create an arrangement that works for both the owner and the driver.

Better Parking Can Improve the Entire Event Experience

Parking is part of the wider transportation system surrounding a venue. When drivers know where they can park, they have more information to plan their arrival and departure. When they do not, they may continue circling nearby streets, make last-minute decisions or head into residential areas without understanding the local restrictions. Clearer parking options can help visitors make better choices before they reach the busiest part of the journey.

There are potential benefits for the surrounding neighbourhood as well. Local residents want to be able to reach their homes, businesses need access for customers and deliveries, and emergency routes must remain clear. Event parking cannot come at the expense of those needs. A thoughtful approach should direct visitors toward spaces that are genuinely available and permitted for use, rather than encouraging drivers to improvise when official facilities are full.

For venues and local authorities, shared parking could complement existing strategies rather than replace them. Public facilities, transit connections, event-day traffic plans and accessible parking provisions remain important. In some locations, additional infrastructure may still be necessary. In others, making appropriate existing spaces easier to discover could provide another layer of capacity for occasional peaks in demand.

Every Event Creates a Temporary Parking Economy

A major event does not simply bring fans, performers or spectators into a neighbourhood. It creates a temporary change in how the surrounding area is used. Restaurants may become busier, roads fill up and parking demand rises sharply before returning to more typical levels afterward. That pattern creates an opportunity to rethink how local resources are shared.

The same principle applies beyond stadiums and concert halls. Festivals, exhibitions, university events, community celebrations and seasonal attractions can all bring large numbers of visitors into areas where parking is limited. Each location has different requirements, but the underlying question remains the same: are there suitable spaces nearby that could be made available when demand rises?

Parker is built on the idea that available parking can be more useful when owners and drivers have a way to connect. For property owners, that can mean exploring an income opportunity from space that would otherwise remain empty. For visitors, it can mean having another option to consider when planning a trip to a busy venue. Neither outcome is automatic, but both become possible when suitable parking is easier to discover and share.

The next time thousands of people head toward the same game or concert, the parking challenge will not disappear overnight. But the solution may not be limited to building another garage or expanding an existing lot. Sometimes, part of the answer is already nearby, sitting empty on a driveway or in a parking area that will not otherwise be used.

Have a parking space near a stadium, arena or event venue? Or looking for another place to park on event day? Visit parkerapp.ca to learn more about Parker and the idea behind parking powered by people.