Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Parking Madness 2019

Parking Madness 2019 Round 1: Houston vs. Boston

We're getting into some of the heavy hitters today in Parking Madness, our annual tournament examining the damage done to city landscapes by surface parking lots. This year's tournament, however, flips the script, attempting to find the "parking crater" that has been most transformed into a beloved city space.

There's still time to vote in yesterday's matchup, which paired Atlanta and Oakland transit station infill. Minnesota has already advanced with a win over Kansas City.

Today we're looking at two major cities that have been growing their parking craters away.

parking madness 2019 2

Houston

This shocking historic panoramic of downtown Houston in the early 1980s comes to us via Houston-based planner Christof Spieler.

houston before
houston after

Spieler explains:

One of the most famous photos pf Houston is the Alex Maclean aerial photo of parking lots in Downtown Houston in the early 1980s. That exact spot is now Discovery Green, a thriving urban park, and the surrounding convention and hotel district.

He adds, in reference to the "after" photo that it's even better than it appears. "Apple Maps isn’t quite up to date" he said. "One of the lots at right is now a new performing arts high school."

Boston

Boston's Seaport is one of the nation's most famous reformed parking craters. The area, in fact, was a previous contender on our regular parking crater competition in 2015. But since then the cranes have been hard at work.

boston seaport before
Boston Seaport circa 2005. Image: Ted Pyne, MassGIS
boston seaport after
2018

Ted Pyne, a reader who nominated this space, says:  "The 2018 image is already out of date. Four of the parking lots in the July 2018 image are now under construction."

Both of these areas still have a fair way to go, but they are certainly headed the right direction when more places for people to live and work and fewer spaces that are dead zones of unsustainable car storage.

Tell us which should advance to the second round!

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: Are We All Living in a ‘Carspiracy’?

How does "car-brain" shape the way we think about the world — even in relatively bike-friendly countries like the U.K.?

July 26, 2024

Friday’s Headlines Share and Share Alike

Bikeshares, and e-bikes and scooters generally, are becoming more popular. That's led to more injuries, highlighting the need for better infrastructure.

July 26, 2024

What the Heck is Going on With the California E-Bike Incentive Program?

The program's launch has been delayed for two years, and currently "there is no specific timeline" for it. Plus the administrator, Pedal Ahead, is getting dragged, but details are vague.

July 26, 2024

Talking Headways Podcast: Have Cities Run Out of Land?

Chris Redfearn of USC and Anthony Orlando of Cal Poly Pomona on why "pro-business" Texas housing markets are catching up to "pro-regulation" California and what it might mean for future city growth.

July 25, 2024

The Paris Plan for Olympic Traffic? Build More Bike Lanes

A push to make Paris fully bikable for the Olympics is already paying dividends long before the opening ceremonies.

July 25, 2024
See all posts