Link to Los Angeles Times (Feb. 16, 2026) | Los Angeles is often described as a concrete jungle, a city shaped by asphalt, parking lots and other hardscape. Now, for the first time, researchers have mapped that concrete in detail, and they claim a lot of it doesn’t need to be there. …The report, DepaveLA, is the first parcel-level analysis to map all paved surfaces across L.A. County, and to distinguish streets, sidewalks, private properties, and other areas.
…Ben Stapleton, chief executive officer of the U.S. Green Building Council California, pointed to parking requirements that long tied the number of spaces to a building’s size and use.
“The natural solution was to just pave things over, because it’s cheaper, it’s less maintenance,” he said. “It’s not very expensive, especially asphalt.”
…The goal of the report, [Devon] Provo said, is to give Angelenos and decision-makers a shared starting point for conversation.
“This data is relevant to anyone who wants to have a say in reimagining the future of Los Angeles to be cooler, healthier and more vibrant,” Provo said.
“My hope is that it opens the eyes of people who are building projects who may not have ever even thought about pavement in this way,” Stapleton said. “Once you learn something, you don’t unlearn it.” (Read full article)
Photo: Aerial view of hardscpe area inside Pershing Square in Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
