Ever wonder why so many new apartment buildings look like giant, boxy blocks with long, windowless interior hallways? Or why older 1920s buildings feel distinctively charming, airy, and human-scaled? And how does parking—from the daily street-parking hunt to multi-million-dollar underground garages—shape what actually gets built in Koreatown?

The answers aren't just architectural taste—they are written into invisible municipal building codes and parking mandates.

Join Abundant Housing LA and acclaimed design journalist Frances Anderton (author of Common Ground: Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles) for a flat, easy, 0.7-mile walking tour through the heart of Koreatown.

Together with our Abundant Housing Koreatown chapter, we will explore how building codes shape the physical streetscape, examine the movement for single-stair (Point Access Block) reform, see how recent wins like parking-minimum reform (AB 2097) are creating affordable homes, and tee off how smart curb management can tackle Koreatown's street-level parking crunch.

Educational Nutrition Label
What You Will Learn at This Event:

• Takeaway 1 (The Invisible Code): How staircase egress mandates and parking minimums physically dictate apartment floor plans, cross-ventilation, construction costs, and building bulk.
• Takeaway 2 (Reading the Facade): How to spot the differences between 1920s Art Deco density, contemporary podium infill, and 100% affordable parking-free developments straight from the sidewalk.
• Takeaway 3 (K-Town Action & Parking Reform): Why building expensive underground garages inflates rents rather than fixing traffic—and how to get involved in the Koreatown Chapter's upcoming parking and curb-management campaign.

Tour Route & Accessibility:
Distance & Pace: This is an easy, flat, 0.7-mile sidewalk stroll along paved city sidewalks—not an "urban hike". Fully accessible to attendees of all mobility levels.
Transit Access: We meet directly outside the Wilshire/Normandie Metro D Line Station and conclude right next to the Wilshire/Western Station. Riding Metro is strongly encouraged!
Post-Tour Social: We will wrap up at MaDang Courtyard with complimentary shared Korean pastries and bakery treats provided by AHLA. Coffee, boba, and additional refreshments will be available for purchase from local plaza vendors.