Walkability 'Growing Pains' in Los Angeles

By many estimates, a city known for its pedestrian unfriendliness is developing pockets of local walkability. Minor disputes over pedestrian rights may add up to something bigger.

1 minute read

May 15, 2015, 8:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Pedestrian Overpass

Tony Webster / Flickr

In a CityLab article, Laura Bliss writes about the "growing pains" Los Angeles may feel as its auto-friendly institutions learn to accommodate walkers. From the article: "with the city's continued expansion of rail service, development around new transit stations, and blossoming 'suburban downtowns' like Long Beach and Pasadena, Los Angeles is projected to rank 11th among 30 U.S. metros in walkability in the near future."

This ongoing transitions has sparked local disputes. They include:

  • In a repopulating downtown, pedestrians have received jaywalking tickets for crossing after the red hand begins to flash.
  • During this month's Big Parade, urban hikers exchanged heated words with a man who fenced off a public staircase out of concerns about crime.
With City Council still slow to act, "a critical mass of pedestrianism just might eventually force NIMBYs aside."


Wednesday, May 6, 2015 in CityLab

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 2, 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

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 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.

July 2 - 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.

July 2 - 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.

July 2 - CNU Public Square