For most of the past century, the goal of street design in the United States was to move vehicular traffic as quickly as possible. However, as the multitude of negative externalities that stem from car-centric culture became obvious, street design shifted toward a new norm: providing safe, efficient access to every user. Recent street design documents for the City of Los Angeles, like the “Complete Streets Design Guide,” advocate for safer, multimodal streets. However, these recommendations are misaligned with many existing car-oriented regulations, and they are not consistently applied. Today, the Los Angeles has begun reviewing and refreshing its currently mismatched street design guidance.
