Is L.A. More Crowded Than New York?

In "L.A. the King of Sprawl, Not at All," Robert Bruegmann reports that Los Angeles is one of the densest areas in the country. His article reinforces the notion that L.A. is already a very dense place, but is it true?

1 minute read

September 20, 2006, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Three UCLA students investigate the issue, and find:

"While it is true that the urbanized area of Los Angeles has a higher population density than the urbanized area of Los Angeles, our analysis shows that the City of Los Angeles is much less dense than the City of New York. The analysis presented here aids in dismantling the perception that Los Angeles’ density exceeds that of New York and should be the reason for limiting development in the City of Los Angeles. It is disingenuous to compare density figures by "urbanized area," as doing so lacks the necessary apples-toapples comparison quality. Instead, we argue that discussions about density should focus on more reasonably defined urban areas, such as proper city limit boundaries as presented in this paper.

Thanks to Livable Places Email Newsletter

Wednesday, September 20, 2006 in Livable Places

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

6 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

SMall backyard cottage ADU in San Diego, California.

San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs

City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.

6 hours ago - NBC San Diego

Large tower under construction with crane with American and Texas flags in downtown Austin, Texas against sunset sky.

Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing

Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.

7 hours ago - The Texas Tribune

Red brick five-story multifamily housing building in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings

Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.

June 18 - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)