Which Walgreens would you rather look at? This one:
A
Or this one?
B

What's the difference? Parking is a big part of the answer. Walgreens A has parking on the side and in back. Walgreens B follows the classic Anchorage pattern, putting all the asphalt front and center. Walgreens A also has windows to the street, and it connects to the sidewalk, so it makes it easier to walk there.

The city has been working for almost a decade to come up with design rules that encourage more things like Walgreens A. And lately some builders and designers have been trying to get the city process stopped. They say the city shouldn't make rules about what gets built. Rules cost money.

I'm working on a column about the whole thing, and that has made me contemplate pavement.

When I was getting ready to move back to Anchorage a friend of mine who has never been here said, "What is it they say? Anchorage is a beautiful city so long as you keep looking up," she said. "You look down and it's all parking lot."'

Right or wrong, I'm kind of used to seeing scenic views from fields of asphalt. Where is your favorite parking lot view?
(Send pics!)

Here's one from today:
The Chugach Mountains above Petco, Michael's and Bed, Bath and Beyond, from the parking lot of Teriyaki Express in Mountain View.