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

It's an intra-Missouri battle today in the fourth match-up of Parking Madness, Streetsblog's annual hunt for the worst parking craters in North America.

Which rival will advance to the round of eight -- and a chance at the coveted "Golden Crater" -- Kansas City or St. Louis?

First up, the city they call KCMO:

kansascity3
false

The red outlines denote Kansas City's moonscape of parking craters. Submitter Emily Katherine says it's even worse: Many of the buildings between surface parking lots are parking garages. Which begs the question, where on earth are all these car owners headed? From the looks of things there just aren't that many places left to go.

Onward to St. Louis:

stlouis
false

Alex Ihnen at NextSTL sends us this beauty. He notes that this is a publicly subsidized parking crater -- as God and nature intended -- which is "bookended by two parking garages." This is the area St. Louis calls Ballpark Village, and it was supposed to be the site of a mixed-use development not long ago. Now the developer says the market won't bear it and all taxpayers have to show for their investment is this embarrassment, jokingly dubbed "Carpark Village."

parking_madness_2014_4
false

Which is worse, readers? Collect yourselves and weigh in below.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

This Week In Livable Streets

Metro board K Line showdown, L.A. mayoral debate, westside bus lanes, L.A. City Council Transportation Committee, SB 79, and more

March 23, 2026

Metro Plans to Spend Nearly $900M Expanding Freeways Next Year, a 40 Percent Increase

Metro expects to spend $887.1 million on widening the 5, 57/60, 91, 105, and 405 Freeways, and planning for Metro widening of the 5, 14, 71, 605, and other freeways

March 20, 2026

Friday’s Headlines

ICE, record heat, Vermont Ave., Metro gaslights, Long Beach circles, Metro cyber attack, Alhambra, and more.

March 20, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines

Heat wave, bus lanes, Pasadena, LAPD, Monrovia, stadium shuttle, Inglewood, car-nage, and more

March 19, 2026

Metro Committee Again Sides with Nimbys, Postpones Key North K Line Rail Decision

K Line delay empowers anti-rail voices opposed to Metro tunneling far deep beneath homes

March 18, 2026
See all posts