If I'm ever bored and on a computer - wait, when am I not? - I like to take a personalized tour of the various neighborhoods of LA through the vistas of Google Earth. Seriously, I could roam the LA stratosphere for hours. You really get an idea of the incredible topological and infrastructural forces that have shaped the city over the past 100 years. One facet, or byproduct, of these forces, which almost always defer to the automobile, is the existence of gigantic parking lots, some right in the middle of the city and some large enough to give you the feeling that you could see them from outer space! I've posted a few of my favorite parking lot overheads, and though there might be some more dramatic ones in the peripheral communities in Orange County, San Bernardino, etc. I've purposefully chosen lots near downtown LA. These lots demand a ludicrous amount of land and really destroy what is otherwise decent urban fabric in their particular contexts.
The possibility for positive, beneficial redevelopment, whether architectural or landscaped, constitutes the future for many of these lots. This potential is compounded by the increased emphasis on storm-water management and responsible treatment of local ecologies. I believe there is already a plan in place for the lot in Inglewood, though I'm not familiar with any of the details.
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[Dodger Stadium. Giant parking lot on the top of a hill in Echo Park. Drainage issues? Maybe. Might explain the existence of the reservoir to the east.]
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| [Hollywood Park & old LA Forum, Inglewood. Originally built for regular use by the Lakers and sports bettors, now almost always empty.] |
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| [Mission Junction, Downtown. Downtown!!] |
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| [Car lot, Long Beach Harbor. This one isn't in downtown LA, but it's still amazing. Long Beach Harbor is a Google Earth paradise...] |
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