Imagine stepping out of a sweltering light rail station into a vast, empty parking lot radiating heat.
A Redditor posted an image in a subreddit community that spotlights examples of poor city planning, of a massive — and completely empty — parking lot baking in the scorching Nevada sun next to a monorail station.
A commenter shared that the parking lot is actually privately owned and has a strange history, as it went from being marketed for hotel development to being purchased to build a Buddhist temple by a group whose leader has faced allegations of stealing millions of dollars, according to the Last Vegas Review-Journal. In the meantime, a large, heat-absorbing parking lot is left behind, serving as a reminder of the power of community in shaping our urban environment.
Look closely, and it appears as though the parking lot has been used for at least one thing: doing doughnuts.
Several other Redditors shared their frustrations about this situation.
"This hurts my soul," said one commenter.
"Everyone who parked here came back to melted tires," mentioned a second commenter.
This parking lot and other poor city planning examples create an urban heat island — a phenomenon when buildings, concrete, and pavement absorb heat and slowly release it, making it feel significantly hotter than it is. Residents struggle with higher electricity bills due to increased air conditioning use, further straining tight budgets and pushing more hot air outside.
It's important to hold local government officials accountable so situations like these can be avoided or remedied. Imagine how much cooler this parking lot would be and feel if trees were planted to provide shade. Nevada could take a page from New York City's book and mandate solar canopies be built over the parking lot.
Other countries around the world are passing measures to avoid huge, needless parking lots. A commenter on a different post in the subreddit mentioned that France has passed laws requiring large parking lots to be at least 50% covered by trees or solar shades.
"This must be the new Space Port … because anything else why this monstrosity was [built] makes no sense in city planning," one commenter joked.
The reality? This massive heat trap is a reminder of the need for more thoughtful urban planning that prioritizes the health and well-being of its residents.
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