Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
DC Streetsblog

The Long, Painful History of Terrible Parking Policy in One 71-Second Cartoon

If you haven't been keeping up with Sightline Institute's excellent series on the scourge of parking minimums, you've been missing out. They've posted 11 readable and informative articles on the subject. From here, Sightline is pivoting from problems to solutions, and we'll be sharing their next few posts on Streetsblog, as well as re-posting some of the most revelatory moments from their series so far.

Here's a quick way to get caught up: 71 seconds of cartoon-watching to understand how such bad decisions get made. It's the depressingly simple story of how the Institute of Transportation Engineers' hugely influential "Parking Generation" manual came to cover our country with parking.

If you'd like to take the long way, you can also read roughly the same story in just 1,025 words in the eighth installment of the "Parking? Lots!" series.

Enjoy!

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Tuesday’s Headlines

Potholes, wildfires, car-free life, Chandler bikeway, South Pasadena freeway fighter, East L.A. walks, car-nage, and more

January 6, 2026

This Week In Livable Streets

Metro Public Safety Advisory Committee, Sawtelle Bikes ride, and more.

January 5, 2026

UCLA Study Finds Metro Transit Ambassador Program Is Benefitting Metro Riders

"Overall, ambassadors contribute to improved passenger experiences and play a needed role not well-served by other existing staff or system design features."

January 5, 2026

Monday’s Headlines

La Brea pothole, cap-and-trade, rain gardens, river path, Angeles Crest Highway, car-nage, and more

January 5, 2026

Streetsblog Predictions for 2026

Rail openings, speed cameras, but not many new bikeways

January 2, 2026
See all posts