| The City of Los Angeles has a long-term | | | | this figure is deceiving in part because the |
| reputation for sprawl, however, this | | | | region includes mostly uninhabited areas. |
| reputation is undeserved. As of the 2000 | | | | |
| Census, the Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa | | | | The residential density of the central area |
| Ana urbanized area had a residential density | | | | was more than 13,500 per square mile in 2000. |
| of over 7,000 people per square mile, | | | | Within its urbanized areas, Los Angeles is |
| covering 1,600 square miles, rendering it the | | | | noted for modest lot sizes, small vacancy |
| most densely-populated such area in the US. | | | | rates, and general lack of large exurban |
| In comparison, the New York, Newark urbanized | | | | spreads. In inner areas, it is not uncommon |
| area boasted a population density of over | | | | for individuals to share rooms or rent rooms |
| 5,300 persons per square mile, covering 3,300 | | | | to strangers. However, buildings tend to be |
| square miles. | | | | of very low height when compared to other |
| | | | very large cities in part because of strict |
| The widespread misconception of Los Angeles | | | | earthquake building codes which escalate |
| as a sprawling city might originate in the | | | | costs. Los Angeles was established as a major |
| area's decentralized structure. Instead of | | | | city just as the Pacific Railway dispersed |
| being concentrated in a single downtown area, | | | | the population to lesser cities. During the |
| the region's major cultural, commercial, | | | | first decades of the twentieth century, the |
| residential, political and industrial | | | | area was formed into a network of fairly |
| locations are dispersed over an intricate, | | | | dense but separate locales linked by rail. |
| intra-connected network. Although the overall | | | | The emergence of the automobile assisted in |
| density of the city of Los Angeles is small | | | | filling the spaces between these commuter |
| compared to similar-sized American cities, | | | | cities with smaller-density settlements. |