Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission approved a landmark specific plan that is notable as much for what it doesn't include as what it does.

James Brasuell reports on the hubbub over the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan [PDF], a document that lays out the path for transforming an underutilized industrial area north of Downtown into "a cluster of mixed-use pedestrian oriented and aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods."
"Most notable among the plan's ballyhooed innovations: a complete lack of parking requirements--neither minimums nor maximums," says Brasuell. "Just so we're perfectly clear: this is the first plan of any kind in the city of Los Angeles that does not include parking requirements."
"City Planner Claire Bowin told Curbed today that the lack of parking requirements will allow developers to 'minimize the amount of parking for specific projects,' given the neighborhood's proximity to transit, the changing culture of Los Angeles, and the declining need for parking... The effect, says Bowin, will be to 'let the market decide' how much parking is needed and where."
The plan for the four new zoning districts - Urban Village, Urban Center, Urban Innovation, and Greenway - seeks to retain light industrial uses in the area, while adding residential (with incentivized affordable housing), commercial, and retail uses. For the purposes of the plan's EIR, development in the area has been projected to attract more than 25,000 additional residents by 2035.
FULL STORY: No Parking Required in Mixed-Use Plan For Cornfield Area

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie