Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In

We've seen some tough competition in the first round of the 2016 Parking Madness tournament. Yesterday, the parking lots of Federal Way, Washington, knocked out the parking lots around Montreal's central rail station to advance.

Today's matchup looks fierce, with a crater in the tourist destination downtown of Niagara Falls, New York, facing off against a crater in the university town of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Niagara Falls

original-2
false

Mere blocks away from the scenic grandeur of the falls is this stupendous array of surface parking lots, interspersed with hotels, convention buildings, and a casino. In a hopeful sign for Niagara Falls, however, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that the state will remove a two-mile stretch of highway that impedes access between downtown and the riverfront.

Ann Arbor

Screen Shot 2016-03-10 at 3.02.36 PM
false

This is the classic parking crater form: a downtown of walkable blocks and buildings flush against each other, interrupted by the jarring flatness of surface parking.

"The building in the upper left replaced a 1940s two-level parking structure, so that's progress," says submitter Ryan Arnold. "If they keep that up, they could do great things with this empty downtown block."

Considering the context, which is worse?

parking_madness_2016
false

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Monday’s Headlines

The news didn't slow down over the weekend.

July 7, 2025

The Single Most Important Element In Creating Good Cities

A lot of U.S. cities are getting their "right of way" all wrong — and urbanists can help by getting to know this poorly-understood concept.

July 6, 2025

Reclaiming Streets from ICE with Music, Dance, Altars, Mutual Aid, Community, and Resistance

The Mariachi Plaza event was one of four held across LA. Tuesday night. The June 19 abduction of street vendor Emma de Paz from the Hollywood Home Depot was a touchstone of the Eastside gathering.

July 4, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines

A larger than usual headlines stack as we careen towards the 4th of July.

July 2, 2025
See all posts