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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.

We desperately need more parks. Only 62% of Angelenos live within walking distance of a park. Chicago: 98%. New York: 99%. San Francisco: 100%. LA ranks 93rd out of the 100 biggest US cities for parks. Seven years ago we ranked 55th, but other cities kept adding parks, while LA essentially stopped.

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.

LA's first response to SB 79, Low Rise, was all about avoiding neighbor backlash. It only allows incremental change (3-4 story buildings). But incremental and holistic planning are enemies. One asks how little damage change can cause. The other asks how much good it can create.