LA considers car-free streets and pedestrian “superblocks” through Park Block Pilot

LA streets may soon look different thanks to a new plan Los Angeles officials are moving forward with to close off city streets for cars and open up space for pedestrians.

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday on a motion to identify a location to implement its first Park Block -- modeled after the city of Barcelona’s Superblocks, a block grid system that restricts traffic to major roads and opens up city blocks and streets to pedestrians.

Since the Spanish city implemented the program in 2016, the city has seen reductions in air pollution, urban noise, and traffic fatalities.

A study found that residents and workers in the city’s Superblocks reported higher levels of well-being, quality of sleep, and an increase in social interaction.

The Park Block plan will implement a similar program in Los Angeles, closing streets to cars in order to free up space for pedestrians and cyclists. 

Councilmember Kevin de León, who put forward the motion, says “Park Blocks can save lives lost to poor air quality and traffic violence. They can create instant public open space with substantial shade, outdoor recreation, greening and stormwater capture in communities desperate for parks.”

The motion comes after an increase in traffic deaths in Los Angeles.

LAPD data showed over 312 people were killed in traffic collisions in 2022 -- 159 of those deaths involved pedestrians, which showed a 19% rise compared to the previous year.

According to the proposal, the plan will be first tried within de León's District 14, which includes parts of downtown LA, Boyle Heights, Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, Monterey Hills and Glassell Park.

Priority areas for the initial pilot will be chosen by the LA Department of Transportation among communities that have the least access to public space, highest health disparities, high population densities and who want to participate in the program.

In addition to identifying a pilot location, LADOT will conduct a report to identify the necessary funding and resources that would be needed to implement additional pilot locations and scale the program citywide.

City officials say communities would eventually be able to apply for the Park Block program, with priority given to neighborhoods with the least amount of open space and the highest incidents of vehicle collisions.

“The Park Block Pilot recognizes that we need diverse uses of our streets and housing,” said Eli Lipmen, executive director of Move LA, an organization which advocates for the development of public transportation and affordable housing in communities.

“It is a creative use of our city’s resources that creates safer, cleaner, and friendlier neighborhoods.”