Los Angeles Metro Expansion Spurs High-Rise Development Although the thought of walking the streets of Downtown Los Angeles may seem foreign to most Angelenos, the expanding metro rail is making it easier for residents to get around the city. In the past ten years Downtown Los Angeles has seen substantial changes to its urban fabric leading to increased pedestrian activity and surprising economic investment. Recent proposals for the historic downtown district include over a dozen mixed-use towers ranging from twenty to sevent stories in height. The hope is that these new high-rise buildings will increase density, promote walkability and introduce a mixture of commercial and residential activities into the once depleted downtown. The thirteen downtown projects account for over half of the twenty-seven new high-rise buildings being proposed throughout the city. Downtown Los Angeles is leading the way in the recent boom of economic activity due, in large part, to the presence of the five converging metro lines that service the area. A majority of the proposed high-rise developments seem to be following a pattern of transit-oriented development, with new projects strategically located in close proximity to existing rail lines. In fact, twenty out of the twenty-seven proposed locations for future developments are within a ten to fifteen minute walk of an existing or future metro station. Mapping the proposed high-rise developments reveals four major hubs of development: Santa Monica, Century CIty, West Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles. Examining these neighborhoods reveals that proposed high-rise developments are following and anticipating the growth of the L.A. Metro Rail. The rapid expansion of existing rail lines towards Santa Monica and Beverly Hills has also enticed developers to locate projects adjacent to future metro stops creating hubs of development in Century City and Santa Monica as well. Taking a closer look at the twenty seven proposed locations for these demonstrates the vital role the Los Angeles Metro Rail has played in attracting economic investment to the city. This geographic analysis reveals how the expansion of the rail network is contributing and, in some cases, prompting investment throughout the city. The L.A. Metro Rail is shaping the future of Los Angeles by increasing pedestrian activity and promoting an explosion of high-density projects unmatched by anything in the sprawling city’s history. df f
Image courtesy of AC Martin
Santa Monica
Century City
West Hollywood
Downtown L.A.
The relatively modest skyline of Santa monica will be changing with the addition of Santa Monica’s tallest buildings with the two new proposals near the end of the expo line.
Century City has a total of four proposed towers even though the purple line extension through Beverly Hills will not be completded for another six years. d df
The Red Line in North Hollywood has prompted a two pairs of towers near the Hollywood Paladium and Capital Records Building.
The six rail lines that converge in downtown Los Angeles have prompted a dozen proposals for future high-rise developments of over 20 stories in height.
Passy Reservoir Botanical Gardens Master Plan Proposal The Pasy Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens mixed-use project seeks to address the continuous loss of commercial services in the 16th arrondissement by creating new cafes and shopping facilites. The project seeks to capitalize on the concentration of museums in the area by adding premier gallery spaces for temporary art exhibitions intertwined with a botanical garden and a small cafe with outdoor seating.
The new Passy Cultural Center will provide visitors with a tranquil environment equipped with boutique shopping, cafes and elegant museum spaces. The mixed-use project aims to increase the neighborhood’s revenue by repurposing the existing reservoir infrastructure with commercial and cultural activities to attract the thousands of tourists that visit the area throughout the year.
N
Examining the L.A. Metro Rail: A Needs-based Transportation Analysis Introduction The planned expansion of the Los Angeles Metro Rail promises to provide Angelinos with access to an alternate form of public transportation. However, some critics of the L.A. Metro Rail believe that the expanding network will primarily serve tourist destinations and powerful economic hubs rather than supporting the residents most in need of access to public transportation. The goal of this research is to determine if the residents most in ULLK VM W\ISPJ [YHUZWVY[H[PVU ^PSS ILULÄ[ MYVT [OL expansion of the L.A. Metro Rail.
Study Areas Comparative Analysis
L.A. County Public Transportation Need Index
No Access to a Personal Vehicle Less than 5%
L.A.X.
7% - 9%
16% - 31%
10% - 14%
0
2 Miles
Median Household Income Compared to County Average
Population Density per square mile 3,000 - 13,500 people
Hollywood
Downtown
4% - 6%
10% - 16%
2 Miles
Pasadena
Santa
Less than 3%
5% - 10%
Quarter mile buffers were placed around existing and future rail stations to identify the primary areas serviced by the Los Angeles Metro Rail. This analysis reveals that the South L.A. study area will continue to be undeserved by the growing metro network even though it will soon be surrounded by rail lines on all sides.
Los Angeles Metro Service Areas Detail
0
a Monic
Take Public Transportation to Work
Transportation Analysis
Above County Average
13,501 - 20,000 people
75% - 100% of County Avg.
20,001 - 24,000 people
41% - 75% of County Avg.
24,001 - 38,300 people
31% - 41% of County Avg.
Santa
a
Monic
East L.A.
South L.A.
L.A.X.
Norwalk
Existing Metro Lines Proposed Metro Lines Maximum Need Moderate Need Future Extension Future Extension Expo Line
Existing Metro Lines
Low Need
10 Miles
0
Minimal Need
Blue Line Gold Line Red Line Green Line Purple Line
The Los Angeles Metro Rail The Los Angeles Metro Rail currently consists of 6 lines that span approximately 90 miles in length across L.A. County. The Metro Rail ÄYZ[ VWLULK PU ^P[O [OL )S\L 3PUL PU 3VU Beach and has since expanded as far north as Hollywood and as far east as Pasadena. The Los Angeles Metro Rail is planned to continue expanding through 2016 with the completion of the Expo Line Extension and Crenshaw Corridor.
Center for the Study of Los Angeles
Public Transportation Need Index Score Descriptions Maximum Need 5V (JJLZZ [V H 7LYZVUHS =LOPJSL Use of Public Transportation to Work High Population Density
Household Income Below County Average
Moderate Need
Minimal Need Low Need Moderate Need
1
Extension to L.A.X. Population: 83,612 Median Income: $44,885
Extension to Santa Monica Population: 57,336 Median Income: $67,601
Residents Who Take Public Transportation to Work 30%
L.A.X. South L.A. 0
2 Miles
Minimal Need :\MÄJPLU[ (JJLZZ [V H 7LYZVUHS =LOPJSL No Use of Public Transportation to Work Low Population Density Household Income Above County Average
Residents Without Access to a Personal Vehicle 40%
2
3. Expo LineStudy Area Low Need
Maximum Need
3
2. Crenshaw Study Area
The South L.A. study area indicated the highest need for public transportation.
2 Miles
Proposed Metro Lines Tracts with Maximum Need
Public Transportation Need Index
a Monic Santa
0
2 Miles
Public Transportation Need Index Weighted Variables
1. South L.A Study Area No Planned Development Population: 125,436 Median Income: $28,581
0
Population Density 20% Median Household Income 10%
Crenshaw Corridor Buffers
Methodology Four variables from the 2010 American Community Survey were used to create a transportation needs index. Each varviable was weighed based upon its relevance for determining a community’s need for public transportation. The resulting scores helped identify the census tracts in L.A. County most in need of access to public transportation.
Site Selection The primary study area for this project consists of thirty census tracts in South L.A. The site was evaluated along with two neighborhoods near future rail line extensions (Expo Line & Crenshaw Corridor) in order to compare demographic information and selected variables.
South L.A. Study Area
Expo Line Extension Buffers Existing Stations Buffers
0
2 Miles
Conclusion This research concludes that the Los Angeles Metro Rail does not effectively connect the residents most in need of public transportation to the greater transit network. Although residents in South L.A. indicated a maximum need for public transportation they remain outside of a reasonable walking distance from any single station. This reveals that the Los Angeles Metro Rail will remain inaccessible to the entire South L.A. neighborhood except via multi-modal transit.
Frank Romo