How Metropolis Is Bringing Parking Into The Future With AI And Recognition Technology

Imagine a world where drivers seamlessly access parking in a safe and secure environment. A world without physical tickets, kiosks or the need to scour purses and bags for credit cards or cash. 

That’s the vision of Metropolis, the nation’s largest parking operator with more than 4,600 locations and 28 million members, including 1.5 million in the Washington, D.C., area. Metropolis is using artificial intelligence and recognition technology to power the parking and property management solutions of the future.

“Legacy parking systems frequently result in uncaptured revenue and backups at entry and exit,” said Alex Schueler, senior vice president at Metropolis. “We’re improving the visitor experience while allowing owners and operators to monetize this asset strategically.” 

Since its inception in 2017, the firm has acquired several parking companies, including Premier Parking in 2022 and SP Plus Corp. in 2024. Now valued at more than $5B, Metropolis’ proprietary tech is reshaping parking into a data-driven operational strategy, rather than an afterthought. 

How Metropolis Works

For Metropolis’ 28 million members, parking visits and payments are handled automatically. When a member arrives at a Metropolis location, they simply drive in and out without stopping, pulling a ticket or rolling down a window. First-time users complete a one-time digital sign-up, linking their phone number, license plate and payment method.

At computer vision-enabled locations, the system recognizes the vehicle as it enters and starts the visit. When it exits, the visit ends and Metropolis charges the linked payment method. 

This solution is ideal for surface parking as well as office, multifamily and mixed-use spaces, where residents and workers are constantly coming and going.

“We’re pioneering the ‘recognition economy’ to enable a smarter parking flow,” Schueler said. “Our technology is flexible and operates in both gated and gateless configurations. Metropolis functions as a tech-forward operator, completely redefining how property owners perceive and leverage their parking assets.

The proof is in the numbers. Metropolis adds about 1 million members every month, and it’s not stopping there.  

Optimized For Owners And Property Management

While Metropolis’ platform provides a seamless experience on the user side, it also serves as a powerful tool for property owners and management teams. 

For generations, owners treated parking like a capital-intensive utility to be quietly managed, Schueler said. That’s changing due to the push for asset optimization.

Implementing Metropolis’ platform requires zero upfront capital expenditure, with customized technology delivered to the site and fully operational in 30 days.

“A camera-first, hardware-lean setup reduces ongoing repair costs and the overhead associated with legacy operator staffing,” Schueler said. “Owners gain full visibility into who’s coming to their properties, when and how often, allowing for automatic dynamic pricing adjustments.”  

The platform also prevents revenue leakage from outdated systems that inadvertently make accounting errors and can allow drivers to exit without paying, share parking passes or break gates, he said.

“Every vehicle entry is digitally documented and audited by computer vision, significantly reducing offline cash leakage,” said Andrew Woods, director of business development at Metropolis. “Every dollar of found revenue from advanced parking technology increases the asset's terminal value, and that math compounds.”

Woods said the platform consistently drives a 15% increase in net operating income for asset managers and property owners. This is mainly due to the elimination of operational inefficiencies, improved revenue generation, and AI pricing that uses real-time usage data and performance metrics to keep pricing competitive.

Metropolis’ AI pricing has had a positive impact on its overall customer satisfaction score, providing greater pricing transparency out of the gate, he said. 

“Our technology evaluates submarket demand, local events and real-time occupancy to adjust pricing tiers and maximize yield per space,” Woods said.

Georgetown Park, a parking location in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., faced difficulties with its static pricing. As a popular retail corridor, it failed to capture peak value during busy times of day. 

In 2025, Metropolis implemented its parking system, and the asset has since witnessed a 12.4% increase in transient revenue, Schueler said.

Parking As A Strategic Asset: D.C. Case Study

In Washington, D.C., Metropolis operates hundreds of parking assets, including Georgetown Park. The Accolade, however, a 13-story residential building, is a great illustration of a large theme happening in D.C.: adaptive reuse.

The former federal office building was converted into 243 high-end apartment units as well as more than 3K SF of ground-floor retail. This type of mixed-use product has gained traction in the District in recent years, but it can make parking tricky. 

“We helped the Accolade team monetize the additional retail spaces in their parking garage while also managing the residential portion of the asset, making sure they weren't parking in retail areas, or vice versa,” Woods said. “We essentially gave them a way to avoid limiting the garage to monthly payments only. At a zero capital cost, it was a win-win.”

Projects like these are happening all over Washington, D.C., and across the nation. Owners investing millions of dollars in revitalizing obsolete structures are looking for ways to optimize their property, Woods said. 

“Metropolis has been a great partner,” said Bryan Grimm, director of asset management at Foulger Pratt. “Their technology has streamlined parking operations, improved the resident experience and delivered meaningful results across our properties. The implementation was seamless, and their team has been exceptional.”

AI, Recognition Tech Are The Way Of The Future

Parking infrastructure used to be a basic amenity at commercial developments and not treated like a serious revenue generator. 

But this narrative is shifting, particularly with the help of AI and advanced technology. 

“Parking is always going to be a necessary evil, but how do we make it a nonevent for all parties?” Schueler said. “The only way to do that is by integrating this advanced technology to bring the industry into the future.”

Metropolis is also exploring new use cases for parking infrastructure as it undergoes a digital transformation, including the addition of intelligent electric vehicle charging stations, microdistribution uses and autonomous vehicle staging. The Metropolis team emphasized the importance of maximizing net operating income by thinking outside the box.

“Operators who modernize now are building the foundation for what comes next,” Schueler said.  

Contact Metropolis at awoods@metropolis.io or via the company's contact form.

This article was produced in collaboration between Metropolis and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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