Why Building a Crosswalk in LA Is Kafkaesque

Zach Lazarie said a crosswalk at Clinton and Western in Los Angeles was approved, but the approval email warned that construction could take a few years or more. He described the process as having no clear path and being “like a Kafka novel.” The approval therefore marks progress, but does not provide a predictable timetable for getting the crossing built.

Lazarie estimated that constructing a crosswalk can cost about $1 million, citing engineering, electrical work, and an underground vault. The estimate helps explain why a seemingly small piece of pedestrian infrastructure can entail substantial expense, while the unclear process makes it difficult to know when an approved project will become usable.

Lazarie said roughly 95% of Los Angeles is zoned residential, limiting alternatives when a main street loses its culture. He finds the city pleasant for long walks, but distinguishes that experience from what people usually mean by “walkable.” His point is that being able to walk through a place does not necessarily mean its streets offer the mix or character people seek in a walkable neighborhood.

The Western and Melrose project takes inspiration from Jane Jacobs’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities and its depiction of Greenwich Village’s “sidewalk ballet.” Lazarie’s goal is to build community across multiple buildings, including restaurants, rather than treat the project as a collection of isolated structures. The emphasis is on creating an engaging shared street life, not simply adding buildings.

Bill McBride said builders see zoning as the biggest part of the housing puzzle, even though changing zoning is difficult. California has allowed higher-density construction near transit centers, and its laws permitting accessory dwelling units are spreading. McBride cautioned that ADUs add only a small amount to the housing stock, and said California is officially in a housing crisis; the policies described do not remove the broader constraints on building enough housing.

Lazarie said rents are rising around his project, which he attributes to creating an exciting product and investing in talent. He contrasted that approach with what he sees as the generic quality of many new Los Angeles apartment buildings. The discussion leaves a tension between producing distinctive places that may attract higher rents and addressing a housing crisis in which adding units remains difficult.