Cities Face a Generational Clash over Mobility Priorities, Arrive Report Reveals
ATLANTA, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gen Z (70%) and Millennials (79%) drive the demand for paid convenience, while Boomers prioritize value (57%)
Arrive, a leading global mobility platform and parent company of ParkMobile, today released a new report: "Tomorrow's City, Today: The Evolving Priorities of Urban Travelers," which spotlights convenience and cost as the ultimate divider between younger and older generations of U.S. urban travelers. The data underscores this divide, showing Millennials are 1.4 times more likely than Baby Boomers to pay more for convenience.
"This report offers valuable insights into the differing preferences of urban travelers that will shape the design and management of cities for generations to come," said Cameron Clayton, CEO of Arrive. "The true measure of a future-ready city is its ability not only to observe mobility trends but to leverage real-time data to proactively design for the next generation of travelers. Arrive helps our partners attain this by offering the full spectrum of mobility solutions - from parking and payment, to transit and EV charging. Our job is to translate data-driven insights into recommendations to help create more livable cities."
Key takeaways from the report include:
Young city drivers on the rise
The surge in urban mobility demand is a fusion of necessity and desire. Return-to-office (RTO) mandates are driving daily commutes, while Millennials and Gen Z are driving the experience economy, as they favor collecting memories through experiences like events, rather than material goods.
- Events are a motivator for Gen Z's increased travel to city centers, with drivers in this generation three times more likely than Baby Boomers to attend large events at least three times a year.
- ParkMobile data confirms this trend, showing positive, significant year-over-year growth in parking transactions, with the 2025 average being 19% higher than 2022.
- Twenty-five percent of all drivers surveyed report traveling into city centers more often in the past two to four years, which is double the rate of non-drivers who say the same.
- Gen Z and Millennial drivers are five times more likely than Baby Boomers to report going into the city "somewhat more often."
Convenience and planning ahead are the new currencies for young urban travelers
Young travelers are proactively leveraging technology to plan and pay for trips, prioritizing convenience, personalization, and seamless booking. However, more than anything else, convenience reigns as a top priority for Millennials and Gen-Z.
- Sixty-eight percent of drivers would pay more for convenience, compared to just 37% of non-drivers. In breaking it down further, millennials are 1.4 times more likely than Baby Boomers to pay more for convenience.
- According to an April 2025 In-Car Payments UX Study by ParkMobile's sister brand Parkopedia, 70% of U.S. drivers say they're willing to pay more (either upfront or via subscription) for access to in-car parking payments.
- When it comes to reserving and planning their trip ahead of time, 32% of respondents plan or research a parking spot in advance, at least 80% of the time. Of those respondents, 18% are more likely to reserve parking ahead of time. For drivers, that figure rises to 30%.
- Beyond planning for parking spots, 50% of respondents say they map their driving and walking routes in advance at least 80% of the time as well.
The non-driver decline
Urban travel is on a drastic decline among non-drivers, and the cost of public transit remains a particularly significant factor. This comes as no surprise, as for years, public transportation funding has been a highly contested topic, with policymakers struggling to balance the need for investment with demands for affordability and equitable access.
- Thirty-four percent of non-drivers reported traveling into the city center much less often, compared to just 19% of drivers. Non-drivers are 1.8 times more likely than drivers to have reduced their number of trips into cities.
- When non-drivers do use public transit, cost is the most important factor for 38% of respondents. Safety is second at 30%.
- Outside of work, non-drivers are 1.9 times more likely to use ride-sharing than public transportation.
"The travel priorities of younger drivers and non-drivers are the defining force of the future of urban travel. This presents a tremendous opportunity for cities to better anticipate tomorrow's needs by leveraging insights from our future leaders," said Clayton.
This report combines a national survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers with ParkMobile and Parkopedia's (part of Arrive) proprietary data to examine mobility and parking behaviors. The survey was conducted in September 2025 via Pollfish, with respondents evenly split between drivers (n=500) and non-drivers (n=500) and balanced across four generations. By integrating attitudinal survey insights with transactional data, this methodology provides a validated view of trends shaping modern mobility. You can find the full report here.
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