Long-Term Parking

Most drivers inching toward the top of a parking garage and spiraling back down focus on finding a space—and putting the brakes on their frustration.

Megan Leinart ’06 thinks about carbon emissions, fuel costs and the time spent near but not at the intended destination.

A marketing and parking sustainability expert based in Lincoln, Nebraska, Leinart advises parking technology providers as they develop tools such as mobile apps, automated parking and curb management solutions, and digital cameras. The president of Leinart Consulting also walks clients through parking sustainability certification requirements and design strategies to make parking structures more efficient.

While at Northwestern, the business major participated in Chicago Semester. There, an adviser encouraged Leinart to find her dream job by pairing her interests in marketing and architecture. She spent nine years at a parking architecture and engineering firm post-graduation.

Parking sounded “boring” at first; now, she says, “it’s 17 years later, and I’m never leaving.”

“I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to learn about every aspect of the industry,” Leinart says. “My clients are developing the innovative solutions that are transforming the future of parking and curb management.”

With articles in numerous industry publications, Leinart also co-authored a report for the United Nations on sustainable urban planning and design.