DIXON attended the 2026 Midwest Parking and Mobility Association (MPMA) Conference in Des Moines, IA, last week, where Principal Vanessa Solesbee, PTMP, CCTM, joined Christina Jones, MBA (City of Iowa City, IA) and Jon Rouse (LAZ Parking) for a session titled "Beyond the Coasts: Cultivating a Distinctly Midwestern Approach."

The panel explored how Midwest parking and mobility strategy is often shaped by solutions borrowed from dense, transit-rich accounts for different growth patterns, funding realities, and community priorities. Panelists highlighted where those "borrowed solutions" fall short in a Midwestern context, drawing on case studies from Cedar Rapids, IA, Iowa City, IA, and Royal Oak, MI. Their bottom line: Midwest parking professionals aren't lagging behind — they are innovative in ways thoughtfully tailored to the communities they serve.