With Innovative Plan, L.A. Says Adios to Parking Requirements

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.

1 minute read

December 14, 2012, 1:00 PM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Los Angeles Skyline

Ben+Sam / Flickr

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.

Thursday, December 13, 2012 in Curbed LA

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.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight