Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
parking_sea.jpg

Sorry I missed posting last week's Weekly Carnage everyone. I was out of town, um, visiting the strip mall in the photo above.

Every time I leave the city I end up in a place like this: A sea of unused parking spaces in front of a strip mall accessible only by the car with no housing anywhere in site.  When environmentalists talk about the problems caused by an overabundance of impermeable surfaces that collect and taint rainwater, this is the type of place they're talking about.  When Donald Shoup writes about the need for zoning reform to stop minimum parking requirements based on arbitrary numbers, or Jane Holtz Kay complains about planning parking requirements based on Christmas Eve demand levels, this is the type of place they have in mind.

One or two of these places would be bad enough. But they are everywhere. So here's a contest: Can you name the city or town where this photo was taken? The person who guesses the closest gets a special prize, courtesy of Streetsblog. I bet nobody is even going to be close because of this one fact: All these places look identical.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Judge Orders Trump to Restore $34M in Security Funding to MTA

DHS overstepped its authority when it attempted to tie money from the Transit Security Grant Program to the Trump administration's efforts to deport immigrants, Judge Lewis Kaplan said.

October 16, 2025

Friday Video: Drool Over This London School Street

That's cricket! Check out how London transformed a roadway around a big stadium into a play street.

October 16, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Gateway ‘Terminator’ Edition

President Trump abruptly announced he'd "terminated" the Gateway Tunnel project while taking aim at Chuck Schumer. Plus more news.

October 16, 2025

Trump’s Electrification Cuts are Short-Sighted: Report

EV infrastructure is far more valuable to the nation's prosperity and jobs market than the White House believes, according to a new report.

October 16, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines: Another Highway Boondoggle Erased Edition

Maybe the worm has turned on these awful boondoggles? Plus other news.

October 15, 2025

Book Excerpt Special: ‘War on Cars’ Hosts Explore Life After the Automobile

...and why it's so urgent that we work for a better future.

October 15, 2025
See all posts