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Could SB 79 help fix LA's parks shortage? I was amazed to learn that almost every one of the city's most park-poor neighborhoods was upzoned by SB 79. Even more surprising: the law itself could hold the key to building more parks there.

The city's 2025 park needs assessment prioritized where new parks are needed most. My aha moment: of the 36 highest-need areas (colored squares), 30 overlap with SB 79 station areas (yellow circles). In LA, poor people get transit, and rich people get parks.

That overlap is an opportunity: a quirk in SB 79's design could help the city get land for parks. My explanation, plus some potential scenarios.👇

Parks beg a bigger question: Where is the holistic planning around SB 79? 145 station areas could each welcome thousands of new people. What will the city build to help them thrive? Libraries? Bike lanes? SB 79 is a housing bill. But people don't just live in housing. They live in neighborhoods.