Caitlin Hernández is LAist's LA Explained writer.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily morning newsletter, How To LA. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news.Before it was public parkland, today’s MacArthur Park wasn’t a popular place. In the early days of L.A., in the 1800s, it was a marshy wetland that was dismissed as an undesirable swamp, according towith plenty of waterfowl.
Aerial view of MacArthur Park in 1956. The park's smaller lake, created by the split, was filled in sometime after the extension was completed.The cut-through change wasn’t welcomed by all, however. The Wilshire Community Council protested the move in 1932 and residents organized to urge city leaders to stop. In October of that year, 300 residents went before the Public Works Committee of the City Council to voice a unanimous dissent.
But the city moved forward, and in 1934, they constructed the road that took Wilshire Boulevard into the park, through the lake, to the other side. The lake was drained temporarily as teams filled in the dirt foundation.The contentious history mirrors issues with the management of MacArthur Park today, with concerns that it isn’t well taken care of.
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Reclaim MacArthur Park for people, not carsPark space is too precious to cede to motorists. Where possible, Los Angeles should reclaim more roads for the purposes of recreation, health and pleasure.
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Why Los Angeles should kick cars out of MacArthur ParkOther cities have closed major roads through public parks. It's a recognition that built-out cities have plenty of space for vehicles and not nearly enough park space for people.
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