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.