Crenshaw Fresh & Easy Store a Blow to Urbanism

Urbanism in Los Angeles was dealt a blow with the December 8th City Council vote to approve a Fresh & Easy grocery store on Crenshaw Boulevard. According to the LA Curbed website, the approval required an exception to the Crenshaw Specific Plan, which requires parking for retail to be located behind the building. 

This is a disappointing outcome at a time when numerous examples exist nationwide of grocery stores being sited in a pedestiran-friendly zone while still accomodating parking behind or above the building. Even Fresh & Easy is designing stores with better urbanism in mind as is the case with their planned store in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco.