The Untapped Value in What We Already Own

Take a moment to think about the assets you own. Your car, your driveway, maybe even a set of power tools in your garage. They’re all useful, yes—but how often are they actually used?

The answer might surprise you.

Most cars sit idle about 95% of the time. Power tools—like drills, saws, or sanders—get used even less in their entire lifetime. Even a lawnmower, which feels essential, probably only runs a few hours each summer. And then there’s the most overlooked of all: the driveway or parking space. A patch of asphalt or concrete that could serve someone daily but instead sits empty sometimes 100% of the time.

This isn’t wasteful by intention. It’s just how our lives have been set up. But the rise of the sharing economy is changing that picture—unlocking the hidden value of what we already own.

What’s powerful here is not just the extra income, but the efficiency. One asset, used by many, reduces the need for more production, more waste, and more underutilized stuff.

Parking: The Sleeping Giant

Among all these examples, parking spaces might be the most overlooked asset of all. Think about it: in a city, parking demand is sky-high. People circle the block, waste time, burn fuel, and stress out looking for a spot. Meanwhile, thousands of privately owned driveways and business lots sit empty.

By unlocking these spaces through a shared network, we can:

• Put money back in owners’ pockets: A driveway or business lot goes from being a sunk cost to an income source.

• Ease the pressure on public parking: More available private spaces mean fewer cars circling the block.

• Reduce congestion and emissions: Studies show that up to 30% of downtown traffic is just cars looking for parking. Shared spaces mean fewer wasted trips and a smaller carbon footprint.

• Improve city planning: If shared parking reduces the need to build massive new parking garages, cities can use that space for housing, green areas, or community amenities instead.

Climate, Mobility, and the Future of Cities

Parking might feel small, but it’s a piece of a much bigger puzzle. When we make better use of existing assets, the ripple effects are huge:

• Climate impact: Fewer cars circling for spots means less unnecessary fuel burned, fewer emissions, and cleaner air.

• Mobility: With easier access to parking, commuters can rethink how they travel—maybe parking a little further out and finishing the trip on transit, bike, or foot.

• City growth: If land currently dedicated to parking garages can be freed up, cities can expand housing supply and public spaces instead of concrete deserts.

In short: when we stop letting parking spaces sit idle, we’re not just helping drivers—we’re helping entire communities move smarter and live better.

Your Driveway Can Drive Change

It’s easy to think change comes only from big institutions—governments, city planners, or large corporations. But the sharing economy proves otherwise. When everyday people make small changes—like listing a driveway or empty parking space—the collective impact is massive.

By monetizing what you already have, you’re not just putting a little extra cash in your pocket. You’re contributing to a shift in how we think about mobility, sustainability, and city life.

At Parker, we believe parking isn’t just about cars—it’s about people working together to drive change. So the next time you pull into your driveway, ask yourself: could this space be doing more?

Because chances are, it can.