Interweaving Los Angeles: Connecting Mobility to Place

INTERE X P L O R I N G F U T U R E T R A N S P O R T:

LACING C O N N E C T I N G M O B I L I TY TO P L AC E

LOS ANGELES Cal Poly Pomona | Department of Landscape Architecture Fall 2019 | LA2111L

Interlacing Los Angeles First Edition United States 2020 Prepared for the A+D Museum Dept. Chair / Professor of Landscape Arch.

Andy Wilcox Studio Director Ray Senes Cal Poly Pomona Lecturers Steven Chavez Michelle Frier Matt Kizu Glenn Matsui Bingshan Wong Book Design / Illustration Shawn Park Project Graphics Students of LA2111L Studio Descriptions Ray Senes Copy Editor Shawn Park Proofreader Ray Senes

Contributing Partners Anthony Morey (A+D Museum) Leila Anna Wahba (A+D Museum) John Rossant (Comotion LA) Jonah Bliss (Comotion LA) Interlacing Los Angeles Š 2020 Cal Poly Pomona All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

Printed by Blurb.

For more information on affiliated organizations, please visit: www.env.cpp.edu/la/la www.aplusd.org www.comotionla.com Instagram @cppla @aplusd_la @lacomotionfest @shapeless.me

INTERE X P L O R I N G F U T U R E T R A N S P O R T:

LACING C O N N E C T I N G M O B I L I TY TO P L AC E

LOS ANGELES

Contents Fall Semester 2019

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Introduction

Site Background

Mobility Festival

Urban Mobility: Past & Present

Photo of Produce Wholesale

Student Photos

Studio Objective

Photo of LA Terminal Market

Comotion LA

Collaborative Goals

History of ROW DTLA

Festival Photos

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•

•

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Form & Spatial Study

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Infographics

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Subtractive Design

Envision What You Can’t See

Then & Now: Current Conditions

Inspirational Quote

Future Urban Mobility Diagram

Context Map

Selected Work

Selected Work

Project Site

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•

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136

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Site Map

Student Projects

Conceptual Projects

Studio Photos

Project Narrative

Selected Work

Student & Faculty Photos

Site Plan

Project Vision

Field Trip Photos

Sections / Elevations / Renderings

Brief Description

Afterword: Future of Urban Mobility

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INTRODUCTION

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o Metr

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THE PAST Since hitting the mainstream market early 20th century, the automobile has been dominating its competitors as the favorite mode of transportation in America. Despite being a commonly believed necessity for today’s average household, the automobile wasn’t always popular when pedestrians once crowded the streets of U.S. cities and towns. It first gained interest as a productivity instrument for farmers and a luxurious horseless carriage for others.1

It became much more than building a better alternative for the good ol’ horse-driven buggy and becoming a utilitarian masterpiece. During the postwar era, the automobile played a huge role as an economic stimulant. There was a strong push for the mass production of cars nationwide and the federal government paved the way for the growth of the automotive industry. In addition, popular television romanticized America’s love affair with cars.2 It became an icon that “freed every American from the tyranny of geography and the loneliness of isolation.”3 After all, the U.S. was a vast land of opportunities, and the automobile was the catalytic vehicle that enabled many Americans to claim them.

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Clark Warburton, an American economist once said, “The expanded use of motor transportation during the 1920s brought repercussions in virtually every other field of the national life.” The personal freedom obtained through the automobile inspired people to move away from the central cities. This was the spark of a major movement. Suburbia swept across the nation as cars made it possible for people to live outside of the crowded cities and still commute into the city for work. By 1940, cars were becoming an essential mode of travel, and 60 percent of Americans owned a personal vehicle.4 The original problem of overcrowding re-presented itself on the roads in the form of traffic congestion.

There was a car-centric shift in the way we began to plan and build our urban environments. In 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, a bill that built 41,000-mile of highways, as it was coined as, “the greatest single element in the cure of city ills,” by Joseph DiMento.

1. “Automobile History” - By: Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen, History.com, Aug 21, 2018 2. “The myth of the American love affair with cars” - By: Emily Badger, The Washington Post, Jan 27, 2015 3. “Celebrating America’s 125-Year Love Affair with Cars” - By: William Jeanes, Saturday Evening Post, June 22, 2011 4. “The Role of Highways in American Poverty” - By: Alana Semuels, The Atlantic, March 18, 2016

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THE PRESENT Since then, the number of registered cars have increased massively and it has become the main mode of transportation for most Americans. Highways are a necessity for many Americans who use it to commute regularly and it connects neighborhoods together. The highway system has undoubtedly had a benevolent effect on the American economy and society.

Though highway engineers in the 1950s prescribed highways as a cure to the ailments of a congested city, we can’t ignore the harm that it has inflicted in the process.

The design of the highway system didn’t take into much consideration about how it would affect the urban fabric.

As a result, this triggered an onset of other urban issues.

Neighborhoods that obstructed the construction of highways were decimated and residents became displaced. There are long segments of highways that still obstruct the union of commuities and exists as an eyesore in cities to this day.

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STUDIO OBJECTIVE The studio focused on the design fundamentals concerning the spatial definition and experience of space. The objective was to propose two initial introductory investigations and one design project within two phases. Students collaborated with design professionals as studio partners, engaged in field trip(s) to see, test and study spatial qualities, and ultimately pursued the visioning and design of a prototypical future street.

The studio explored form, scale and the defining of space through the examination and modification of a typical Los Angeles street site, while also considering the following aspects: 1. Connection – Streets are physical transport, but also are connectors between social (equitable public space) and ecological systems and can be “multi” rather than “uni” in purpose and experience.

2.

Innovation – Streets are multi-modal - for cars but also

for pedestrians, bicycle, bus/public transport and other ideas/ technology emerging in Los Angeles.

3.

Scale/Context – Streets are scaled per context,

experience, use and purpose(s). What are the becoming of

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streets in the Los Angeles context? How can we learn lessons from other types?

The LA 2111L studio goals melded with an exhibit and event, sponsored by the A + D Museum, Los Angeles and by CoMotion LA – a diverse local organization of public policy makers.

Ultimately, the goal of the studio was to design and envision a prototypical future street through lessons drawn from the current urban landscape within the LA context. The structure of the LA 2111L studio interlaced street and transport as a comingling concept. The 15-week investigation was organized into two phases:

Phase One: (Weeks 1-8) The street is an equitable canvas where both street and transport collide, and human experience occurs. The street is ecologic system as well.

In this phase, students explored historical

case studies of streets, and also through field study, engaged a series of form/space making and scale studies that explored the structure and context of streets as spaces. This phase was part form/idea exploration and part background research, and grounded the emerging ideas for phase two of the studio with

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the Los Angeles context - present to future.

Phase Two: (Weeks 9-16) The LA 2111L studio also mapped the contextual fabric of a typical street through analysis and diagram/infographic/collage/model a foundation for a typical future street within the Los Angeles context. Students developed a vision and typical street design on a site that borders the A + D Museum considering scale, experience, connection, mobility and allowing for walking, bike, train, electric car and aviation as possible modes of transport. The student work in phase two developed from the exploration in phase one, while also complimenting the A + D Museum’s urban aviation exhibition and CoMotion LA’s street event on-site.

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COLLABORATIVE GOALS The LA 2111L studio was envisioned to be a shared collaboration and exchange of ideas that both posed questions and investigated options for future transport and street design possibilities. This academic/professional partnership model also allowed for university students, agencies/groups and the Los Angeles Community at large to participate in an informed conversation, addressing these complex issues and also furthering discourse on this topic. Student participation often permeates into the community and spurs involvement and further conversations, leading to future leadership and a multitude of layered benefits for all who participate. The partnership model classically exemplifies Cal Poly Pomona’s learn by doing educational philosophy.

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BACKGROUND

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Produce Market and Wholesale Terminal, 1927 (Los Angeles Public Library Archive)

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HISTORY OF ROW DTLA ROW DTLA is an iconic historic district located in Downtown Los Angeles which was repurposed from the infrastructure of a railroad terminal and wholesale produce market. This property was once known as the Los Angeles Terminal Market as it served as the terminus for the produce and goods entering Los Angeles. This distribution hub was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad and it played a crucial role for getting produce and goods to people across Southern California.*

* �ROW DTLA: The Vast Complex of Historic Structures Is Transformed Into a Downtown Destination� - By: Abigail Stone, Los Angeles Times, Oct 1, 2017

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MOBILITY FESTIVAL

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COMOTION LA CoMotion LA brings together the brave new world of the urban mobility revolution — a revolution that is set to transform every city in the world, large and small. It is where innovation, policy and business come together to design the future of urban mobility. Two days of immersive and inspirational talks, demos, test drives and exhibitions — a glimpse into our new urban future. Through curated discussions, expert meetings, press conferences and private receptions, the event brings together key players across disciplines and industries to emerge with new policy and innovation mandates for a more connected, innovative and sustainable urban future.

The students of LA2111L got the opportunity to attend the third edition of the Comotion LA Leadership conference in the Art’s District of Downtown Los Angeles where global mayors, leading technologists, public transport operators and venture capitalists, start-ups and established players reconvened to discuss the future of urban mobility revolution.

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FORM AND SPATIAL STUDY

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SUBTRACTIVE DESIGN Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet Michelangelo of the High Renaissance, who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of western art wrote that every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.To Michelangelo it was the subtraction of the excess material that revealed what the piece was meant to become. As landscape architects we often feel it’s our job to add to the landscape.

We think of design as an additive process. But the design of landscape space can also be thought of as subtractive, where portions of a volume are removed to reveal their essence, like a Michelangelo sculpture.

In much the same way, space is created in the void. The edges of the void activate space. The form, scale and articulation of a space and its edges within a context will create an experience.

Subtractive design is the process of removing extraneous parts in order to strengthen the core elements. You can think of a design as something you build up, construct and let grow, but it’s carving away the excess that gives a design a sense of simplicity, elegance, and power.

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I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.

- Michelangelo

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INORDINATUS This project presents the idea that a structured shape, like a cube, can create an unstructured path. Through the use of different sized cubes, steps, tunnels, rooms, and paths were created that ultimatley leads people to explore new spaces

First phase, Subtraction of a cube. Focused on taking out rectangular and triangular solids.

throughout the landscape. The repetition of the same shape allowed the model to show its versatility and think of the ways they could interlock, stack, or overlap.

Second Phase, Addition. Continued the use of void cubes and rectangles but with wood. Voids became steps and spaces to occupy.

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MERGING The moment when a person has to move away from home, seeking to accomplish their dreams, leads to an overwhelming experience of having to accept those who live around them.

The idea of merging comes into play in this scenario since

Portland is pedestrian heavy.

Cutting through creates new unexpected pathways.

a person has to consider how to put aside one’s differences and accept others such as how this model merges with other shapes. It results in an experience of unity and comprehension as they come together towards the end.

Part I: Subtraction

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LAYERED Similarly to different levels of materials coming together to form a structure, the model represents an interactive space with different levels of experiences. While one layer may

Layered sectional view

seem insignificant, it provides a base for the levels to be layered and a model to be built. It was important to capture the simplicity of the materials and use them in the most basic form to create a space.

Connection and interactivity

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CREATION THROUGH DESTRUCTION The main idea was to focus on the creation as a result of, and response to, destruction associated with erosion. Whether from wind, water or ice, erosion is considered to be one of the most destructive forces in nature. While that may be true, it’s also

Concept sketch of erosion and the landforms it leaves behind.

responsible for creating visually stunning and awe-inspiring ourdoor spaces. This form study also highlights how designers respond to this ever-changing environment by creating innovative pathways and connections that inspire exploration and provide new experiences.

Integration phase of the project where I created connections and experiences within the spaces.

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INFOGRAPHICS

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Angelenos spend 119 hours in traffic every year

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ENVISON WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE A vision is a concept, not a thing. A vision is the big idea for the work you will engage in. In design, your vision is the idea becoming, at a point in the future. A vision is developed by asking why to approach the effort, why it will be created and/ or why it should exist. Next, answer what it is to become, what is to be created and/or what it will reveal to add value. Further refine this by examining the when, where and how of the vision. This a part of a process that will evolve into the scope of the work.

Mass Public Transit

Driverless Vehicles

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Vision vs. Scope A vision and scope are two different things. A vision sets out the big idea for the work. The scope outlines a roadmap of key design strategies and details to be considered as well as the methodologies to be used in evolving the idea into the work.

Although design processes are not standard nor are they linear, when you clarify your vision, creating an efficient and effective roadmap is much easier.

?

High-Speed Rail

How do you envision the future of urban mobility?

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TOWARDS A SHARED CITY THE FUTURE OF URBAN MOBILITY WILL SEE CHANGES IN THE LACK OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL LINEAR CORRIDORS WITHIN THE CITY.

6.4 M

73% 6.8% 200 K 100 K

2019

202

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SA ITY

Metro Riders in Los Angeles 415.6 M

2016 2017 2018 2029

AN MOBILITY HE LACK OF CORRIDORS HIN THE CITY.

397.5 M 383.8 M 450.1M

Curent Freeway System SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS

POMONA

DTLA

MORENO VALLEY

LAX

8%

LONG BEACH

SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS

Light Rail In Progress

2029 AVERAGE

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2029 AVERAGE

128 HRS

PER YEAR IN TRAFFIC IN LOS ANGELES

2%

VS.

y System

97 HRS

PER YEAR IN TRAFFIC NATIONWIDE Curent Freeway System SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS

L MOUNTAINS

POMONA

POMONA

DTLA

MORENO VALLEY

SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS

MORENO VALLEY

LAX

SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS

LONG BEACH

E-

UB ER

Light Rail In Progress Helipad

Light Rail In Progress

E-

UB ER

E-

UB ER

E-

UB ER

EE-

UB ER

UB

ER

2039

59

2019

2029

40%

58%

2%

Curent Freeway System SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS

POMONA

DTLA

MORENO VALLEY

LAX

E-

UB ER

LONG BEACH

SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS

E-

UB ER

E-

UB ER

Light Rail In Progress Helipad

E-

UB

ER

E-

UB ER

E-

2049

UB

ER

2039

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­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

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LAYERED SUPERBLOCKS FOR

URBAN HEAT ISLAND IN

GREEN SPACE AND CAR OWNERSHIP 1920

5-6000 6001-12000 12001-18000

28%

18001-28000 28001-33000

42%

P

LOS AN

(CALEPA, 2019)

(SMITHSON, 2013)

Now 96%

4% increase in ENERGY

4% 85 F

(GOVERNING, 2019)

PERCENTAGE OF CAR OWNERSHIP IN LOS ANGELES

used to COMBAT the Urban Heat Island Effect in urban areas 83 F

PERCENTAGE OF GREEN SPACE IN LOS ANGELES

80 F

IMPAIRED water

QUALITY develops as HEATED

stormwater becomes runoff and drains into natural systems

URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT

THE SUPERBLOCK LOS ANGELES CURRENT PLAN

COMPACT URBAN AREAS

NOT

ALLOW WIND do TO TRAVEL, TRAPPING HEAT AND CREATING

SMOG

LON

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GREEN SPACE AND CAR OWNERSHIP

R COMMUNITY

70%

WHY

NDEX

PASADENA

NGELES

NG BEACH

SHIFT FROM AUTOMOBILES?

10 years

20%

20 years

1/3

OF U.S. AIR POLLUTION IS CAUSED BY

CARS national geographic, 2019

1/5 OF

TOTAL GLOBAL WARMING EMISSIONS IS FROM

40% 28%

LOWERING AIR

POLLUTION

DECREASES LIKELINESS OF HEART

42%

30 years

ATTACK

20%

STROKE AND LUNG

DISEASE NCBI, 2018

CARS

PERCENTAGE OF CAR OWNERSHIP IN LOS ANGELES PERCENTAGE OF GREEN SPACE IN LOS ANGELES

national geographic, 2019

WHY THE SUPERBLOCK? MOBILITY THAT PRIORITIZES PEOPLE

IMPAIRED water

QUALITY develops as HEATED70

COMPACT URBAN AREAS

NOT

ALLOW WIND do TO TRAVEL, TRAPPING HEAT AND CREATING

stormwater becomes runoff and drains into natural systems

URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT

SMOG

THE SUPERBLOCK LOS ANGELES CURRENT PLAN -WIDE STREET BLOCKS -CAR

POLLUTION

-RETENTION OF HEAT -LACK OF PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY

CONCEPT OF THE SUPERBLOCK

ACTIVATING streets

-

-Encouraging HUMAN MOBILITY without the use of a car

LOS ANGELES WITH THE SUPERBLOCK -LAYERED TRANSPORTATION -INCREASED GREENSPACE

-PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY

10 years

Now

streets cater to

CARS

LYDIA OWEIS // BRIAN ESPINOZA // RAY SENES // LA 2111 L

16%

increase in TREES will INCREASE carbon sequestration and COOLING

decrease in

COMPACTION

through overhead layering

national geographic, 2019

WHY THE SUPERBLOCK?

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MOBILITY THAT PRIORITIZES PEOPLE people

2

transit

3

bicycle

4

automobile

30 years

20 years

BIOSWALES

25%

provide a reduction in stormwater runoff (FIET, 2018)

hanging plants bring scale down INCREASING WALKABILITY

INCREASE

in seating LEADS to increase

WALKABILITY

MULTI layered

COMMUNITY streets

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SITE MAP

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THEN & NOW: CURRENT CONDITIONS Alameda Street has been around to see the grand transformation of Los Angeles. It’s served as one of the many arteries of Los Angeles, circulating traffic both commercial and private and also formerly public streetcar. Being as wide as a boulevard (80 feet in total width), the current street site lacks cooling shade from trees and no definable or characteristic edges - thus lacking the human scale, qualities and comfort of a walkable street. This larger street width exists because streetcars traversed Alameda in the early to mid-1900’s. Many of the historic tracks remain on the Alameda street site.

The Los Angeles Railway (Los Angeles Transit Lines) was a system of streetcars that operated in central Los Angeles and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods between 1901 and 1963. The company carried many more passengers than the Pacific Electric Railway’s ‘Red Cars’ which served a larger area of Los Angeles. The system was purchased by railroad and real estate tycoon Henry E. Huntington in 1898 and started operation in 1901. At its height, the system contained over 20 streetcar lines and 1,250 trolleys, most running through the

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core of Los Angeles and serving such nearby neighborhoods as Echo Park, Westlake, Hancock Park, Exposition Park, West Adams, the Crenshaw district, Vernon, Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights.

During the war years, transit ridership spiked because of government gas rationing; but the streetcars emptied out again in peacetime. By the 1930s, LA’s streetcars had become wildly unprofitable and were quickly losing riders. Between 1945 and 1951, the number of riders carried each year fell by nearly 80 million. Cheaper to operate and requiring less maintenance, buses began phasing out the streetcars very early. As Richmond points out, in 1926, 15 percent of the total miles traveled by Pacific Electric riders was along bus routes; that share would more than double by 1939.By the time that National City Lines entered the picture, the dismantling of the streetcar system was well underway.*

The studio re-imagined big ideas, considering the then and now, as a vision for future mobility in Los Angeles.

* SOURCE: “Did A Conspiracy Really Destroy LA’s Huge Streetcar System?” - By: Elijah Chiland, Curbed LA, Dec 17, 2019

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84 K

TH

R PA

SKID ROW

U

SO

FASHION DISTRICT

SO

UT

HC

N

EN

SA TR

AL

ARTS DISTRICT

GELES

ALAMEDA ST

N LOS A

PROECT SITE

RIVER BOYLE TS

HEIGH

A NT

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Y

W AF

IC

N MO

CONTEXT MAP

1500 FT

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PROJECT SITE

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FINAL PROJECTS

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ALAMEDA CORRIDOR

Alejandra Hernandez | Vanessa Alonzo

RAIL TRANSIT

FOOD VENDOR

BIKE LANE

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Narrative Cars and commercial trucks flood the road of Alameda Street as it stands today. The current conditions of the site lacks consideration for the pedestrians and cyclists. The proposed design transforms it into a human-scaled multi-functional corridor that is shared with the local community and everyday commuters.The goal is to encourage everyone to use alternative modes of transportation instead of driving a car to travel not only to and from The ROW, but also through Downtown Los Angeles as well.

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Pedestrian Park Features include: public seating, water fountains, and occupiable space for street vendors

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A-A Street Section

B-B Street Section

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THE FRONTYARD Grant Geipel | Daniel Jacobs

BUS TRANSIT

LANDMARK

GATHERING SPACE

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Narrative The majority of the population of Los Angeles largely relies

on

personal

vehicles

for

daily

commutes.

Therefore, it has become the norm to engineer streets to meet the spatial requirements of cars — ranging from implementing wide lanes to flowing the city with parking.

We propose a transit corridor adjacent to the ROW which imagines the future of Los Angeles where pedestrian experience comes first and mass transit is prioritized over cars. The ‘Frontyard’ serves as an example that may be replicated at similar nodes across the rapidly expanding downtown

of

Los

Angeles,

offering

throughout the entire metropolitan area.

connections

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RE-DESIGN: 7TH + ALAMEDA ST. Jonathan Aguirre | Eric Cheluca

BIKE LANE

PEDESTRIAN TRAIL

SUBTERRANEAN

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Narrative Separating all modes in favor for pedestrian and micromobility transportation to promote greener alternatives while also offering a safer/pleasant experience.

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A A

B A A

B C C

0

A A

0

50

50

100

100

110

MICRO 8’

PEDESTRIAN 8’

SECTION A-A

PEDESTRIAN 8’

PEDESTRIAN AMENITY ZONE 17’

EXTENDED SHOULDER 6’

111

PEDESTRIAN AMENITY ZONE 25’

PEDESTRIAN 8’

PEDESTRIAN AMENITY ZONE 13’

0

VEHICULAR 60’

EXTENDED SHOULDER 6’

5

10

112

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THE RAPID LINE Valerie Alegre | Ryan Ortiz

RAIL TRANSIT

ELEVATED STRUCTURE

TRANSIT HUB

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Narrative No bus routes runs through the site making it inaccessible for pedestrians to enter the Row via Metro. The Rapid Line will provide the communities surround Alameda Street with a direct route from Union Station to Wilmington, with a faster and reliable transit system through the city. The elevated railway will not interfere with current traffic conditions.

Union Station ROW

union station

7th St. / Alameda St.

Alameda St. / Slauson Ave.

Alameda St. / Florance Ave. Alameda St. / Firestone Blvd.

South Gate

Alameda St. / Roscrans Ave.

Lynwood

Compton

Alameda St. / Compton Blvd.

Alameda St. / E Del Amo Blvd.

row dtla Alameda St. / E Anaheim St.

bus stop bus route Wilmington

Long Beach

Conceptual Dia

Proposed Metr

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A

A

A

Alameda St.

B

7th St.

Pedestrian Walkway Vehicular Lane Vegetation Metro Line Pedestrian Bridge Bike Lane Activity Space

SITE PLAN

0’

50’

100’

118

8’

151’

1’

10

25’ 20’

1’ 8’

6’-6”

9’

6’

6’

12’

12’

12’

6’

1

119

0’ 8’

12’

3’

1’-6”

35’ 25’

SECTION A-A

1’ 12’

12’

6’

6’

9’

6’-6”

8’

0’

5’

10’

120

121

122

ELEVATED PATHWAY

Lisa Namekawa | Marco Ramirez | Elizabeth Zarate

BIKE LANE

PEDESTRIAN TRAIL

ELEVATED STRUCTURE

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Narrative The elevated pathway is a two lane bridge that runs on top of Alameda Street for bikes and pedestrians to use. The bridge connects Union Station to The Row and the Los Angeles River.

This pathway invites the nearby community and industry to walk along the path as an alternative for driving through its inviting walking conditions. Through its use traffic would decrease and the use of public transportation would increase.

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GOING MICRO Aracely Fonseca | Ida Li

BIKE LANE

PEDESTRIAN TRAIL

MICROMOBILITY

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Narrative The site explores human-scaled movements in order to connect the neighborhoods of Downtown Los Angeles using micromobility and microlanes to allow for a more personal experience of the city.

Wider sidewalks and narrower car lanes

Green walls and taller trees

Micro lane for safety

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LEGEND EDGE CONDITION

MOBILITY LANES

AMENITIES

PEDESTRIAN

GREEN WALL

MULTI-USE SPACE

REST STATIONS

MULTI-USE GREEN SPACE

GATE

BUILDING

RAISED PLANTERS

MICRO LANE

BUILDING

BUS STOP

STREET TREE

DISCONTINUED TRAIN TRACK

PLANTING

E 7TH ST

RO

W

S ALAMEDA AVE

B B

A

A

N

CENTER ST

0

50

100

200

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CONCEPTUAL PROJECTS

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Sky-Pod-Coaster Lesley Santos | Hyeyeon Lee

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Sky-Pod-Coaster is a cost-free public transportation. The design derives from combining the concept of a roller coaster with a solar panel infrastructure for an energy efficient alternative. The Sky-Pod-Coaster also offers quality view of the landscape for the users to enjoy while escaping from the city traffic jams.

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Pedways Anthony Diaz | Mimi Ngai

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As the future of transportation evolves to flying vehicles in the sky, we are left to wonder what will be the use of roadways. Thus, we introduce Pedways: giving the streets back to pedestrians. Implementation of pedways will enhance the space for social interaction to take place, and provide a safe space for children to go out to play as they used to.

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Los Angeles Sky Rail Kendall Voettiner | Larissa Castaneda

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The Sky Rail is a regional transportation service which operates on an environmentally sustainable, electric rail about 45 feet in the air, weaving through the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles. There are access points at existing parking garages located throughout the city.

The goal was to source an earthquake resistant material that would also not obstruct any landscape or city views.

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Xperience LA Francisco Zapata | Tania Bowen

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In Alameda, the lack of public transit use has become a major issue. This can be linked to the lack of connection between the surrounding community and ROW DTLA. To combat this issue, Xperience LA would provides access to communities along Alameda Street to various neighborhoods. We hope to provide the full experience of LA by highlighting the different experiences provided for people.

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STUDIO PHOTOS

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Special thanks to the students of LA2111L Jonathan Aguirre Valerie Alegre Blair Allen Vanessa Alonzo Miranda Andre Daniel Armas Steven Ballinger Daniel Barragan Corey Baum Tania Bowen Salvador Calderon Larissa Castaneda-Saturnino Eric Cheluca Kitty Cheung Harry Chow Makarakpisey Chuop Bryan Covarrubias Abraham Covarrubias Jonathan Davila Anthony Diaz Brian Espinoza Ignacio Flores-Contreras Gonzalo Flores-Mayorga Aracely Fonseca Stephanie Franco Angela Garcia Alexander Garcia Terumi Garcia Grant Geipel Kamran Ghandhy Moises Gomez Madlena Hairabedyan Anthony Harris Alejandra Hernandez-Mixquitl Sebastian Huizar Douglas Ideno Daniel Jacobs India Jenkins Yasmine Kaissi JunBae Kim Nicholas Lee Ida Li Alvin Lim Andres Magana Sergio Mares Gia Menchaca

Danny Mendez Julian Montano Ruth Morales Ignacio Moreno Dudley Myer Lisa Namekawa Ramon Napoles Mimi Ngai Khoa Nguyen Keven Nolan Raul Nunez Ricardo Oceguera Viviana Ortega Ryan Ortiz Lydia Oweis Katharine Owens Esteban Pacheco Justin Paredes-Sison Daniela Pastor-Pereda Moises Perez Jocelyn Pulido Marco Ramirez Kevin Ramirez-Ontiveros Luis Ramirez-Rizo Benjamin Ramos Justin Randig Coral Reich Maryellen Rios Jazmin Rojas-Ovando Lisette Ruano Vanessa Salazar Esteban Salcedo Tiffany Shih Jason Soberanes Hiromitsu Suetake Joseph Sugich Justin Sze Arielle Talley Jose Valenzuela-Palomar Bethany Vallastere Kendall Voettiner Junan Yan Francisco Zapata Bryan Zaragoza Elizabeth Zarate

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Portland Oregon Mobility Field Trip Fall 2019

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AFTERWORD: FUTURE OF URBAN MOBILITY Ray Senes

The American health care crisis is, at its core, an urban design crisis. To get a sense for the toll our car-centric infrastructure has taken on our physical and mental well-being: •

Car accidents have killed and injured far more Americans than all of our wars combined.

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Commuting by driving a car ranks as people’s least favorite regular activity.

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23 minute driving commute has the same effect on

happiness as a 19% reduction in income.

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For every extra 5 minutes Atlanta residents drive each day, they are 3% more likely to be obese.*

Angelenos love their cars. California was founded as a new frontier and Los Angeles - the city that was not only built around the car but whose movie studios helped create some of America’s most enduring myths of the open road - now dreams of weaning ourselves of automobiles, with more reliance on public transport, bikes, walking and many new innovative, low energy low carbon options. These new ideas will not

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only contribute to all of us being more healthy mentally and physically, but allow us more quality time to spend with others.

The harmful toll on our environment is also problematic. Car pollution contributes significantly to climate change, which results from a buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Burning fossil fuels in cars releases carbon dioxide, which is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. In Los Angeles we breathe this in and out, figuratively, as this once touted idea of freedom and glamour - living the open road experience as part of the American Dream - is becoming too costly and just not good for us.

This studio has allowed some deep thinking about the future we want, how we want to live in the world and how big ideas can change urban places to benefit and add value to future generations. Hopefully this investigation starts a conversation on how we can contribute to living in a healthier, more personally connected and increasingly inspired future world.

* SOURCE: “We Should Be Building Cities for People, Not Cars� - By: Devon Marisa Zuegel, Strong Towns, July 3, 2018

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