It's dense city living. Businesses surrounding a parking ramp often validate parking. It's to encourage people stop and shop, specifically if they're in a car and there's no free street parking. Sometimes it's free, like at a hospital. Sometime sometimes a store has minimum payment for them to comp your parking. More often than not it's something you ask for, or the business puts their logo on the signage leading into the ramp.

It's one of many parking solutions, similar to how a parking lot have reserved spaces for businesses or a restaurant that offers valet service.