Friday Funny: Al Fresco on the Freeway

Fake news site The Onion imagines the logical result of car-centric planning during a pandemic.

1 minute read

July 31, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


San Fernando Valley

Appetizing. | Oscity / Shutterstock

The Onion is so quick to satirize and so close to the mark it can be hard to tell the difference between fantasy and reality.

The latest example: an article about restaurants opening for dining on the 101 freeway in Los Angeles. 

In an effort to provide residents with a way to more safely patronize restaurants without fear of contracting Covid-19, Los Angeles officials announced a new initiative Tuesday to designate open-air dining areas along the 101 freeway median. 

The Onion is a totally fake, satirical news site, but this bit of mirth was obviously inspired by real pictures of the massive parking lot for a complex of malls in Glendale, California—a city located just to the the northeast of Los Angeles—set up for "outdoor" dining. As a former resident of Glendale, I can tell you that the parking lot in question is very much a disincentive for visiting that location, but that didn't stop restaurants, and diners, from seeing an opportunity for a touch of normalcy. A much less satirical article by Alissa Walker provides a dispatch from the experience of eating there, and reports that the experience wasn't all terrible.

Any statue observer and lover of Los Angeles will note an error in The Onion's headline, however. Around here, it's THE 101.


Tuesday, July 28, 2020 in The Onion

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.

3 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

4 hours ago - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

5 hours ago - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

6 hours ago - CNU Public Square