In this Climate Watch blog and accompanying "Miles To Go" radio report, the reporter observes how powerful parking rated as a factor in determining whether to drive, walk, or take transit, and the public policies that affect the quantity of parking.
Krissy Clark, the L.A. Bureau Chief for The California Report at KQED, confesses that her "transportation habits have very little to do with how environmentally conscious I am as a person, and have a lot to do with parking spots." She contrasts her lifestyle when she lived in San Francisco to her current travel behavior and recognizes that the abundance of free, convenient parking spots caused her to abandon her "bike, my feet, the bus, BART and the transbay ferries" that formed the core of her trips as a SF resident.
The one exception: "Parking costs too much at LAX, so I take the city shuttle."
"It turns out my different lives in L.A. and San Francisco, and my different parking options, are no accident. They're based on different approaches the places take to parking. According to a RAND study from 2007, in San Francisco there is "a deliberate effort by planners to reduce private vehicle use" which "limits the number of parking spaces that may be included in a new development." In contrast, across most of L.A., developers are required to provide a certain number of parking spaces, "ensuring that parking will remain cheap and abundant and reinforcing auto-dependency."
Clark offers a slightly different angle on the same issue on her accompanying Miles To Go radio report, The Carrot and the Stick.
Thanks to California League of Conservation Voters
FULL STORY: Blame My Driving Habits on that Parking Spot
San Francisco Development Centers Pedestrians, Public Space
The Mission Rock project eliminates street parking, replacing it with public seating and landscaping.
How Well Will San Francisco’s Daylighting Program Work?
Unlike other efforts to prevent cars from parking near intersections to improve visibility and road safety, San Francisco has no plans to install physical infrastructure to keep vehicles out of danger zones.
San Francisco Implements ‘Daylighting’ at Intersections
Vehicles are prohibited from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk as part of the city’s Vision Zero efforts to eliminate traffic deaths and make roads safer.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research