A photo of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, shared on Reddit's r/UrbanHell community, is generating buzz for what it reveals about the sprawling concrete parking lot engulfing the ballpark.
The image, captured from a plane, shows the stadium looking diminutive in a vast sea of pavement.
"Parking lot footprint of Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles," read the title on the post, which also includes the tag "concrete wasteland." The shot puts into stark perspective just how much valuable urban space is being sacrificed to accommodate cars.
According to one commenter familiar with the situation, "The [Dodgers] owners want to build a gondola [to the stadium] since it's too steep to build rail, and of course there are dozens (dozens!) of NIMBYs who oppose it, so the [LA City Council] just decided to pause work on it last week."
Seeing so much land paved over for parking spots that mostly sit empty outside of game days should raise questions for us all about how our cities are designed. Is catering to personal vehicles really the best use of precious square footage? And what does it say about our priorities when a proposal for eco-friendly public transit gets stalled by red tape?
The way we shape our urban environments has huge implications, not just for quality of life but for the health of our planet, too. Endless expanses of asphalt contribute to heat island effects, stormwater runoff problems, and, of course, all that parking enables more driving, which means more carbon pollution.
Reactions from other Redditors ranged from cynical to constructive.
"The stadium itself is beautiful but the parking lot is definitely overkill," wrote one.
Another railed: "Yea it's mind boggling these so called progressive and their city council want to cancel a public transportation that produce zero emission."
But one thoughtful suggestion stood out: "If you were to do a study within this area for the best transportation method. Gondola wins every time. It's the most cost effective and energy-efficient way to get a group of people to a destination Negotiate with your local city council to make sure your constituents benefit from this project."
Improving mass transit options to popular destinations like Dodger Stadium is a win for everyone — fans, city-dwellers, and the environment we all share. More access with less asphalt? That's a home run.
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