Masterplan for Downtown Los Angeles

reLAtion master plan for downtown los angeles

Project Director: Editor: Designers:

Andrew Mitchell Stuart Harper Wyatt Smith Andrew Mitchell Brian Waweru Robert Clark Stuart Harper

Donald W Reynolds School of Architecture in association with SMWCH PARTNERS, STILLWATER, OK

Published in 2018 by SMWCH PARTNERS. All rights reserved. No material from this document may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers.

Printed and bound in Oklahoma, USA

contents

our convictions executive summary community plan appendix selected bibliography

our conviction

SMWCH is committed to forward-looking designs that can softly influence the way people live, interact with each other, and engage the cityscape. Our vision, while not revolutionary, challenges the conventions still held by cities across the United States.

Open spaces for urban enhancement. It is not enough to improve proximity between people and their needs. In a city built for the car, streets become highway walls guiding the driver from point a to point b. These walls neither engage nor attract the pedestrian, and thus walking provides no emotional benefit above driving. Building forms must be unique and streetscapes must break the conventional grid in order to please people’s senses, possess them to pause, and promote perceived security.

Human experience above the automobile.

The accommodation of private vehicles and pedestrians can often contradict each other.

Sprawling asphalt for motor vehicles detracts from pedestrian experience, while pedestrian friendly areas either deny vehicle access or severely limit speed. However, while vehicular traffic will persist regardless, sidelining of pedestrian needs can negatively impact the liveliness of an area. Foot traffic is an eternal staple of human movement, while personal vehicles, at current, are an unsustainable, shortsighted situation.

Walkability for physical & social health. In the sprawling city, people move between a series of enclosures: home, car, work, car, store, car, home. There is no time to look around or pause.

Human interaction is abolished, human senses are diminished, and human health is imperiled.

There is a stronger link between obesity and inactivity than diet. When people can walk, they can encounter one another, get to know their neighbors and form a relationship.

Integration of Income Class. It would be naĂŻve to dream of a world of total income equality.

However, in a day when income inequality is worsening, it would be foolish to ignore its detriment. It is therefore imperative in any design to insure that the financial divide does not also remain physical. Incomes may not fully integrate, but proximity between classes would serve to promote better public service to those to those low- and middle-class residents around L.A.’s highest.

executive summary

what is reLAtion? reLAtion is intended as a transformational guide for re-planning downtown Los Angeles.

SMWCH aims to reform the monotonous urban street grid, into a more whimsical, open, and integrated commuter network for pedestrian, mass transit and automobile traffic. reLAtion identifies three key facets within DTLA as the organizing basis for a comprehensive system of linear parks, marketplaces, and public plazas dismantling the impenetrable city blocks making way for a more enjoyable, engaging human experience. Furthermore, while reLAtion’s immediate scope is concerned with the downtown core, SMWCH Partners have proposed reinvention of the antiquated 20th Century highway loop in favor of a more sublime, less visibly disruptive alternative.

This proposal forms in response to social and environmental woes within the city of Los Angeles. Inside of DTLA, the city’s most welloff business center, the city’s most infamous homeless conglomeration, and the civic center lie within one mile of one another. The gross discrepancy in welfare within such a compact area, in sight of the elected civil servants, is an unfortunate mar on Los Angeles’ public image. Despite the fact that Los Angeles, and California as a whole, can be seen among the

most progressive advocates for eco-friendly and green policies, it still ranks among the worst cities in the U.S. for air quality and traffic congestion. The sprawling nature of LA on the whole, combined with poor air quality make the city unsuitable for pedestrian traffic.

SMWCH envisions downtown Los Angeles as a stratified series of community hubs interconnected by pleasant park spaces.

Bordering it all, shall be a series of new development along the previously undesirable, environmentally hazardous freeway paths.

Framing these open spaces would be mixeduse, mixed-class apartments. Communities of mixed incomes and backgrounds would foster a stronger fabric, providing downtown LA with equitable experiences for all Angelenos.

the master plan

SMWCH Partners proposes tackling LA’s reinvention on two scales – the macro-cosmic relationship between Central City / Central City North and the greater metro area, as well as the micro-cosmic relationship between downtown communities.

Macro Scale The existing freeway loop and Los Angeles River enclosing central LA act as a barrier between downtown and the adjacent city, an environmental hazard to the adjacent properties, and a crutch for L.A.’s automobile dependence.

Therefore, it is our proposal to remove, replace, and reinvent the existing highway infrastructure around downtown to improve pedestrian connectivity between the outer and inner downtown area, improve air quality within the inner city, and allow cross-city flow to occur without interrupting the continuity of the greater cityscape.

This project will be executed in three phases, allowing traffic to move around the remaining loop while each section is under construction.

Once completed, it shall showcase the dramatic connections established through freeway removal.

Highway Re-planning Los Angeles highways are overly congested.

I-110, running along the western edge of central city, is one of the most congested corridors in the city. Studies have shown that widening highways does not resolve the issue; however, when removing highways, the congestion developed by a highway disappears.

Los Angeles is a car-dependent city and any vision for the future must accommodate for the present to some extent. However, when the highway system was constructed it connected extremities of city at the cost of dividing its interiors communities. SMWCH does not propose outright removal of the freeway (yet).

Instead, we propose a test study, removing I-110 along downtown’s edge. The stretch will be replaced by an on-grade boulevard, removing the physical divide between downtown and the western city. Once the benefits are judged by the citizenry, the city can vote to approve subsequent removals of I-110 (between the 101 and I-5) and I-10 (from I-110 across the LA river) to be replaced by green park space and subsurface bypass tunnels, respectively. With the urban fabric restitched, new light-rail and dedicated bus lines shall be established along major corridors between downtown and the surrounding areas.

River Redevelopment In conjunction with the initial highway removal would be a redevelopment of the L.A. River channel from a strict runoff and storm-water ejection path into a desirable footpath, adorned in hardy vegetation. The plan would be intended to provide a stronger pedestrian link between the east and west sides of the river and to promote further enhancement and development in the future. The river development would co-opt construction of new subsurface storm water retention chambers that could capture greater volumes of runoff that might otherwise be flowing into the Pacific Ocean in order to optimize L.A.’s water reclamation efforts.

Emeric Timelapse. 110 Freeway Downtown Los Angeles. Storyblocks, Arlington, VA.

KABC. 101 Freeway. August 31, 2013. Eyewitness News, Los Angeles, CA.

Los Angeles River. March 9, 2018. ArchDaily.

Precedent Studies Gubei Pedestrian Promenade Shanghai, China for: SR-101 The intriguing aspect of this design was the utilization of T-edge terminating streets. This would greatly enhance the frontage of multiple streets in downtown L.A. to foster health and growth of the residents. Secondly, it develops an essence of axis in an otherwise interrupted standard square grid pattern. This merges well with how the traditional grid was adopted in DTLA.

Champs ElysĂŠes Avenue Paris, France for: SR-110 A sprawling traffic boulevard with ample pedestrian paths to either side. The wide pedestrian walks allow storefront businesses to jut out to engage with and attract passing users. With the removal and reinvention of the I-110 along west Central City, streetscapes will be developed into a more pedestrian friendly spaces, while still offering a large traffic channel for movement north to south.

High Line New York City, New York for: I-10 An elevated metro line converted into an above ground park space. As part of the demolition phase of the highways, some sections of I-10 can be left standing and converted into open public spaces. The High Line encouraged real estate development in the immediate area raising property values.

Fox, Tom. Gubei Gold Street. September 22, 2015. Land8 Media.

Gubei Gold Street. September 2, 2010. World Architecture News, London.

Allaway, Richard. Avenue des Champs-Élysées. May 15, 2015. Flickr.

Hallet, Josh. Avenue des Champs-Élysées. 24 July 2009. Flickr.

Vain, Lauri. The High Line. September 18, 2014. Medium.

Baan, Iwan. The High Line. CN Traveler.

Micro Scale Downtown Los Angeles as a whole, seriously lacks open spaces for pedestrian movement or convergence. What ample open spaces it possesses are disproportionately concentrated in the northern and western extremities of the city.

SMWCH proposes a network of open space projecting out from the Civic Center into the south-central L.A. These new avenues would blunt the city grid, providing a meander between existing cultural landmarks as well as a series of new plazas across Central City & Central City North (CC-N).

The most critical paths shall move between the Civic Center, Financial District, and Skid Row, with the purpose of compelling dialogue between the Los Angeles’ civil servants, most well-off, and most impoverished citizens.

With respect to construction phasing, relevant streets will be re-planned and developed for greater pedestrian use ahead of park and plaza projects, in order to minimize road closures and insure that new nodes can be accessed via foot when completed. Blocks adjacent to the master project should be rezoned to accommodate new mixed-use development.

Street Planning Key corridors within the street grid will be transformed from automobile paths into “complete streets� (accommodating to mass transit, cycles, and scooters in addition to cars).

These include Almeda & Broadway (northsouth) and 3rd-4th, 7th, & 9th (east-west).

Civic Walk A corridor between the Arts, Charter, and ROW plazas with the Civic Center, cutting through Skid Row. The new pedestrian paths would be a desirable alternative for homeless currently living on sidewalks. By concentrating outreach programs and transitional housing projects along this stretch, the goal would be to funnel homeless off the streets and back into functioning society.

Bridge Park Walk (3rd Street) A corridor between Skid Row and the Financial District, interrupted halfway by a new larger social space. Flanked on the north by mid-rise development. Smaller restaurants and shops would run the south side of the site, providing life and purpose. A stage venue could be provided for larger events hosted by The Lexington.

Proposed Public Spaces Throughout the CC-N are areas selected for specific district functions.

Museum Plaza The museum plaza at the intersection of Almeda & Temple streets shall be an extension of the Geffen Contemporary and Japanese American museums for sculpture and exhibit to draw in passersby. This will serve as the North Anchor of Almeda Avenue Walk.

Arts Market At the intersection of Almeda & Produce streets is a large distribution center surrounded by old industrial buildings. The periphery will be revitalized while the distribution center will be demolished for studio spaces, flea market, and exhibit plaza.

ROW DTLA. As a massive shopping center developed within the last five years, this would serve as the southern anchor of Almeda Avenue, with an outdoor area for more flexible, democratic shopping options for citizens of all incomes to shop.

transit edge

hybrid industrial

markets

DTLA Housing Orientation In accordance with the existing DTLA 2040 residential zoning, the proposed open space directly intersects three zones, providing access to prospective housing projects.

Hybrid Industrial “Live/Work housing typologies reinforce and complement the productive, entrepreneurial, and creative hybrid industrial focus of these communities.”

Providing frontage and pedestrian traffic benefits the small businesses that are intended to be established in this sector.

Markets “Residential typologies such as Live/Work and Adaptive Reuse that are well-integrated with commercial use and help to extend hours of activity.”

Reinforcing the hours of activity and desirability of the area are well-lit pedestrian spaces.

Transit Edge “Family-supportive services and amenities in mixed use and new residential development, to create a complete community.”

This sector would have ease of access to the immediate downtown and its extremities.

Skid Row Adjustment Open spaces must not be hostile to the large homeless populations in the area, but their unfortunate presence can be off-putting to prospective commuters. Therefore, zoning adjustments should include provisions for significant SRO transitional housing programs and community centers within the immediate vicinity of the new open space. These should aim to serve and shelter homeless individuals until they can reintegrate into greater society.

Conclusion Throughout our masterplan, we have laid out the steps that we believe will allow Los Angeles to successfully grow and thrive as we move deeper into the 21st century. The grand gestures which we have proposed will create the foundation of the Los Angeles of 2050. Angelenos will be able to take pride and ownership in a city that is representative of the progressive attitude of the state of California.

We hope to instill within the citizens of LA a sense of civic responsibility and a desire to maintain the city that they call home.

appendix

Highway Removal Public Health The Los Angeles Times investigated the health hazards of living near major highways.

Any person working or living within 500 1000 feet of a freeway or “[street] carrying more than 10,000 cars per day,” can have serious effects on health. This jeopardizes approximately three city block radius to either side of downtown’s highway loop. In a city that aims to become more walkable, the situation cannot be ignored. Therefore, removal of highways and/or reductions in car capacity can help curb health risks for Angelenos.

Precedents Other cities have taken it upon themselves to remove these man-made divides in their cityscape. Cities such as San Francisco reconnected their city core with the waterfront by removing the double decker Embarcadero freeway and replacing it with an at-level boulevard. Boston diverted its Central Artery underground in order to reopen the city and establish open spaces along its previous path.

Seattle has similarly taken to task removing its double decker Alaska Way Viaduct in favor of a bored bypass tunnel.

Cost Estimates Replacing the highway with on-surface boulevards could cost $317 million per mile, as it did for the San Francisco Embarcadero project. Under this cost, L.A.’s highway project would cost only an estimated $1.6 billion.

These numbers were adjusted for inflation, because it was not clear whether the initial figure, $171 million per mile, was a 1991 figure or not. With replacement, property values around the project increased by an estimated 300 percent.

The cost of a subsurface tunnel to replace existing highways could range between $1.7 billion to $3.2 billion per mile. These estimate come from similar projects, the Big Dig in Boston, Massachusetts and Alaskan Way Bypass in Seattle, Washington. The Big Dig is the most expensive highway project in US history, $24.3 billion for 7.5 miles of highway; working with 8 miles of freeway, this would put L.A.’s cost at $25.6 billion. The Alaska Way is a 2 mile project, cost only an estimated $3.4 billion, which would bring down L.A.’s cost to $13.6 billion.

River Development Water Conservation From the late 1930’s, Los Angeles began efforts to pave the river in order to curb flooding. This solution, while beneficial in the past, ejects huge amounts of freshwater into the Pacific at a time when Los Angeles deals with severe water shortages. Today, the river is a visual blight and an unsustainable vestige of generations past.

Construction of large underground floodwater storage systems around the river would control water levels, while capturing the water that otherwise goes to waste.

Precedent The Cheonggyecheon River Restoration Project in Seoul, Korea was an ecological nightmare in the 20th Century, becoming polluted with Korea’s rapid industrialization.

The river was eventually covered by a major avenue, then layered by the addition of a raised highway above. Due to structural deficiencies, the city deemed it reasonable to demolish both motorways and took up the task of revitalizing the river. By cleaning up the stream, and landscaping the banks, the area has become a social boon for the city.

Cost Tokyo’s underground water storage system, which holds almost 100,000,000 US gallons at capacity, cost $2.6 billion, for scale. The L.A. County Flood Control can capture about 450,000,000 gallons in an optimum storm, and depending on how much water is channeled through the L.A. River, would dictate reasonable capacity.

The Cheonggyecheon River project cost $367 million in 2003, and provided an estimated social benefit of $3.5 billion for the city of Seoul. For seven miles, this cost $52 million per mile. For the immediate downtown area, the Los Angeles River run four miles, giving an estimated total cost of $208 million.

Open Spaces Complete Streets In order to curb automobile use within a limited area, users must be able to choose from a wide range of convenient methods.

This can be resolved through what are called “complete streets.� These streets separate car and pedestrian, as well as bus / streetcar, and bicycle traffic. This limits the number of automobiles allowed on the road, while reserving sidewalks for foot traffic, expediting the movement of mass transit, and protecting cyclists from motor traffic.

Open Space vs. Development Open spaces are naturally conflicting to new development. It tends to take a secondary priority behind the private investment of the area. However, in order to enhance the developments of the private sector, it can be impactful to design an open space ahead of new development. Amanda Burden took up the torch to see Battery City’s riverfront development ahead of its establishment to provide one of its strongest assets. In rezoning the city, L.A. has the ideal opportunity to enact these plans with minimal conflict, and literally paving the way for new street frontage.

citations

Our Conviction Speck, Jeff. “Jeff Speck: The Walkable City”.

September 2013. Youtube Video, 16:56. Posted October 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wai4ub90stQ&t=361s&list=PLcWSB8W3ktl4NBnrYGpDD4jtuvT14HdTe&index=26.

Streb, Megan. “The Power of Liveable Cities | Megan Streb | TEDxSouthampton”.

November 2016. YouTube Video, 11:27. Posted January 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XONOAy_Q7M&index=13&list=PLcWSB8W3ktl4NBnrYGpDD4jtuvT14HdTe.

Executive Summary “U.S. Cities with the worst air pollution”. ABC News. 2018. Accessed September 6, 2018. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/air-pollution-worst-us-cities-2018/.

“The 10 US cities with the worst traffic”. Business Insider. February 11, 2018. Accessed September 6, 2018. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-us-cities-with-the-worst-traffic-2018-2.

Community Plan “Gubei Gold Street”. SWA. Accessed September 17, 2018. https://www.swagroup.com/projects/gubei-gold-street/.

“Avenue des Champs-Élysées”. PARiS. Accessed September 17. 2018. https://en.parisinfo.com/transport/73130/Avenue-des-Champs-Elysees.

“The High Line in NYC Guide”. TimeOut. Accessed September 17, 2018. https://www.timeout.com/newyork/parks/highline.

Waters, Carlos. “Don’t blame the scooters. Blame the streets.”

YouTube Video, 5:39. Posted September 2018.

“DTLA 2040” City of Los Angeles. Accessed September 1, 2018. https://www.dtla2040.org/resources.html.

Appendix Walker, Alissa. “LA should dismantle its freeways”.Curbed LA. January 5, 2018. Accessed September 10, 2018. https://la.curbed.com/2018/1/5/16854828/los-angeles-freeways-pollution-solution.

“San Francisco, CA Embarcadero Freeway.” Preservation Institute. Accessed September 12, 2018. http://www.preservenet.com/freeways/FreewaysEmbarcadero.html.

“Case Studies for the I-81 Challenge” Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council. Accessed September 16, 2018. http://www.thei81challenge.org/cm/ResourceFiles/resources/SF-Embarcadero.pdf.

Garfield, Leanna. “American highways are so expensive.” Business Insider. May 6, 2018. Accessed September 12, 2018. https://www.businessinsider.com/highway-closing-city-transformation-2018-5.

Goldman, Nate “7 Things That Cost Less Than The Big Dig” wbur. July 12, 2012. Accessed September 12, 2018. http://www.wbur.org/news/2012/07/12/7-things-that-cost-less-than-the-big-dig.

“Viaduct Budget.” Washington State Department of Transportation. May 2018. Accessed September 12, 2018. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Budget.

McNary, Sharon. “How much storm water is LA catching?” 89.3KPCC. January 23, 2017. Accessed September 14, 2018. https://www.scpr.org/news/2017/01/23/68360/how-much-storm-water-is-la-catching/.

Nagy, Atilla. “Tokyo Has the Largest Underground Water Tank”. Gizmodo. April 10, 2015. Accessed September 14, 2018. https://gizmodo.com/tokyo-has-the-largest-underground-water-tank-in-the-wor-1696967098 Wang, Lucy. “Cheonggyecheon River Urban Design”. inhabitat. November 18, 2018. Accessed September 14, 2018. https://inhabitat.com/how-the-cheonggyecheon-river-urban-design-restored-the-green-heart-of-seoul/.