A New Dodger Stadium Downtown

Where can you build a new stadium without any environmental studies, adjacent to region-wide transportation, continue downtown LA's revitalization at its north end with a major sports facility, and right some of the wrongs of the past? 

Welcome to the Alameda District Plan, a specific plan calling for a sports arena next to Union Station. Adopted in 1996 it is still valid but largely ignored. The sports arena is numbered "11" on the map but it can be located anywhere in this area.

The new owners of the Dodgers can use Chavez Ravine to return some of the parkland that was swallowed up for the stadium, provide affordable housing to make up for people that were evicted, and make a lot of money building market rate housing in an in-fill site located in a trendy community and surrounded by a park.

On the above photo of the plan area place the baseball diamond on the area where Dodger Stadium could relocate to.

LAX & the Google Car!

Google's Self-Driving Car Could Revolutionize LAX and All airports Where Traffic is an Issue

Studies currently underway include an option to construct a "remote" transfer facility.  This facility, such as Miami's Intermodal Center, could contain a rental car center, bus station, parking garage, train station; all connected to the airport via a people mover system such as the one being studied for LAX.

The Google Car proposal would add the option of leaving one's car in an automated parking facility and boarding a personal self-driven car into the terminal area such as the one illustrated above.

This is one of the studies underway at LAX to create a circulator people mover system.  At either of the two outlying stations a garage could be built to transfer to a google car. 

LAX Flightways

LAX has a simple urban form that is very easy to grasp.

It is based on the letter "U"

The Theme Building is almost at the center of the "U" making it a focal point for accessing every part of the airport.

A series of arches with pedestrian "flightways" that echo the Theme Building can provide access to all parts of the "U"

The arches of the "flightways" can be draped 

for easy pathway identification

The terminals connecting to the "flightways" can also be draped.

At the end of the "flightways" large letters indicate the gates ahead (the concept of terminals is eliminated)

This perspective is inside one of the "flightways" at the Theme Building indicating which gates lie ahead.

With the approval of the Crenshaw/LAX Light Rail, there is an opportunity to bring rail right into the heart of the airport. Train platforms could acces half the airport.

The Theme Restaurant could be incorporated into a bowl- shaped access point, that brings together the trains and Flightways.

Along with construction of the Regional Connector, single train access could be available from Union Station.

The Great Ticket Hall at Union Station could be used to create America's first off-site baggage check-in facility.

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Making GRAND PARK Grander

GRAND PARK travels through the spine of civic Los Angeles creating an axis that connects two of the City's landmarks.  

At one end is LA's iconic City Hall.

And at the other is the Music Center and the Dept of Water and Power Building

Walking down the hill toward City Hall the direction is clear because of the size 

and architecture of the building.

But walking the park in the other direction, from City Hall up to the Music Center and the DWP Building, the walk's direction gets confusing because the visual focus is not as strong.

Downhill photos towards City Hall

But going up hill getting a focus on the direction

of the walk is difficult.

 

GRAND PARK would be grander if there were a stronger visual link at the top of the hill.

IDEAS:  sculpture, lights, bigger flag poles, a "marker" on the DWP building or on the Music Center Plaza