Some version of automated parking in new developments is goingto be integral to both creating density in L.A. and complying withthe city's parking requirements, as they slowly evolve. Automatedparking is growing in popularity, but is still seeing slow adoptionfrom real estate owners and developers. That is likely becausethere is little known about automated parking systems, bothfunctionally and financially. MarkwoodEnterprises, an L.A. developer, has used fully automatedparking systems in prior developments, but recently implementedsemi-automated parking systems in two density-bonus developments,Dunsmuir Row in Mid-Wilshire and Elmwood Row in Larchmont.

“Fully automated parking comes with a pretty price, and thatprice needs to be amortized over a significant amount of units or avery luxurious, expensive project. The price needs to be absorbedsomehow,” Simon M. Aftalion, development directorat Markwood, tells GlobeSt.com. “When you have smaller buildings, afully automated system, which is the most efficient system in thisrealm of automated parking, doesn't work. The Row projects are in amedium-density zone utilizing a density bonus, and packing onenough density to make one site pencil with 12 to 15 units. If wecould evolve a plan set that really works, we can use that plan setagain and again. The question was: how do we park them?”