The unprecedented study takes a step further into the current state of transportation in Los Angeles by precisely mapping the amount of surface area taken up by parking lots. Woods Bagot’s SUPERSPACE researchers found that over 100 square miles—or almost one-quarter of the city’s entire size—is dedicated to parking. By comparison, all of those parking spaces combined are equal to over four times the size of the borough of Manhattan.

With the realization that Angelinos are forgoing driving their automobiles for other alternatives, such as ride-sharing services or opting for bikes and scooters, it begets the question of what will become of these disregarded spaces. The study explores different scenarios for that immense area’s redevelopment and delivers three innovative design prototypes for the “parking-free” city of the future.

One of the most interesting opportunities is that without sacrificing various neighborhoods’ character, Los Angeles could accommodate anywhere from 1.5 to 3 million new residents if its surface parking were repurposed.

MORE LA has been prepared by Woods Bagot, in collaboration with internationally recognized architect, author, and filmmaker James Sanders, and the leadership of LA Plus, a civic advocacy group.

Key participants joining Woods Bagot at LA CoMotion include The City of Los Angeles’ Mayor’s Office; LA County, UCLA, Lyft, and numerous other organizations as the firm workshops the possibilities of transforming parking to places.

Get a more in-depth look into the report below.