The Next Great American Station

American Planning Association National Conference • Los Angeles, California • April 14, 2012

THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN STATION:The Future of Los Angeles Union Station

Jaymes DunsmoreMaster’s Thesis for Master in City Planning, 2012

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Professor Dennis Frenchman, Advisor

The Next Great American Station • Jaymes Dunsmore, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

History

When Los Angeles Union Station opened L.A. was an entirely different city...

• Urban development was concentrated in the L.A. Basin; the San Fernando Valley, Orange County and the Inland Empire were all rural-agricultural areas

• Streetcars were the dominate form of transportation, with over 1,000 miles of track

Los Angeles Union Station was envisioned as heralding “a new epoch in the history of transportation in Southern California”


History

• Los Angeles’s first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway, opened in 1940

• Over the next half century, L.A. dedicated itself to freeway building and decentralized development

Union Station, known as the “Last Great American Railroad Station,” faded into the past


LOS ANGELES REGIONBlue Line, Long Beach to Downtown 21 miles

Green Line, Rendondo Beach to Norwalk 20 miles

Red Line, Union Station to Westlake 4 miles

Red Line, Complete to North Hollyowood 11 miles

1990

1993

1995

19992003

Gold Line, Union Station to Passadena 14 milesGold Line, Eastside Extension 6 miles

2009

Purple Line, Westlake to Western Ave 2 miles1996

2012 Expo Line, Downtown to Culver City 7.5 miles2015 Gold Line, Foothill Extension Phase I

Expo Line, Culver City to Santa Monica2015

Crenshaw Line, Expo to LAX2016

Regional Connector20192022

Westside Subway, Western Ave to Westwood

REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM GROWTH

Regional Context

• Public Investment in infrastructure has shifted from highways to transit• Downtown is becoming more central and accessible


CIVIC PARK, GRAND AVE PROJECT (under construction)

CURRENT DAYTIME POPULATION: 500,000 People

RESIDENTIAL POPULATION

2000

2008 PARK 101 PROJECT (planned)

LOS ANGELES STATE HISTORIC PARK (opened)

LA RIVER REVITALIZATION (planned)

CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL (planned)

METRO REGIONAL CONNECTOR (pre-construction design)

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

PUBLIC INVESTMENT$

DOWNTOWN LA POPULATION GROWTH

2011 45,000

PRIVATE INVESTMENT$FARMERS FIELD (pre-construction design)

DOWNTOWNLOS ANGELES

CENTURY CITY

EMPLOYMENT

WEST SAN FERNANDO

VALLEY

SANTA MONICA

Data Source: DCBID Downtown LA Demographic Study 2011

Downtown Context

• Downtown remains the largest employment center in the region• Downtown has a growing residential population• Public and private investment is focused on Downtown


SITE: LOS ANGELES UNION STATION

1

234

TOTAL ALLOWED DEVELOPMENT:7,500,000 Sq ft

Remaining Development Rights:6,000,000 Sq ft

MET

RO H

eadq

uart

ers

628,

000

Sq ft

MW

D He

adqu

arte

rs53

0,00

0 Sq

ft

1 2

Resid

entia

l27

5,00

0 Sq

ft

3 4

Stati

on B

uild

ing

(193

9)27

5,00

0 Sq

ft

DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALTRANSIT RIDERSHIP # of weekday boardings in 2011

METROLINK COMMUTER RAIL: 31,520

METRO SUBWAY: 20,851 METRO LIGHT-RAIL: 8,952 METRO BUSES: 1,600

Existing Conditions

• Transit service has been restored• Entitled for six million square feet of new development• Purchased by Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) in 2011

• Transit service has been restored• Entitled for six million square feet of new development• Purchased by Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) in 2011

Existing Conditions

The Next Great American Station • Jaymes Dunsmore, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)• Disconnected from surrounding districts and greater Downtown • Primary uses are government offices, limited residential and retail• Dominated by surface parking, wide streets and Hollywood Fwy

• Disconnected from surrounding districts and greater Downtown • Primary uses are government offices, limited residential and retail• Dominated by surface parking, wide streets and Hollywood Fwy

Existing Conditions


El Pueblo Historic District Publicly-Owned

Land

SUNSET BLVD

LOS A

NGELES S

T

ALAM

EDA

ST

Taste

of I

taly

Chin

ese

New

Year

The

Foun

ding

of

Los A

ngel

es

• Cultural and Historic Crossroads• Adjacent to the Historic Plaza/ Olvera St • Surrounded by publicly-owned land (highlighted in green)

Existing Conditions


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EDA

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UNION PLAZA

BROA

DWAY

NEW

HIG

H ST

REET

NORT

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RING

STRE

ET

EXIT 2B ALAMEDA STREET/UNION STATION

UNION STATION VEHICLE ENTRANCE

LA PLAZA

MAIN

STRE

ET

LOS A

NGELES

STRE

ET


OLVER

A STREE

T

SUNSET PASEO

ALL VEH

ICLES

SANC

HEZ S

TREE

T

OLD LO

S ANGEL

ES ST

REET

RAMERIEZ STREET

ARCADIA STREET

ALISO STREET

COMMERCIAL STREET

HOLLYWOOD FREEWAY US 101

UNION STATION

PASEO DE LA PALZA

SPRIN

G STRE

ET

MAIN

STRE

ET

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE

LA PLAZA DE CULTURA Y ARTES

UNION STATION CONCORSEMetrolink/Amtrak/High Speed Rail

TERMINAL ANNEXConvetion Center

PATS

AOUR

AS T

RAN

SIT

PLAZ

AGA

TEW

AY P

LAZA

VIGN

ES S

TREE

T

PASEO DEL RIO

LYO

N S

TREE

T

LYON

STR

EET

PLACITA DE DOLORES

PARK 101

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE

REPUBLIC STREET

EL PU

EBLO

DE L

OS ANGEL

ES

HISTORIC

PARK

• Enhances transit access and accommodates high-speed rail • Restores historic patterns and establishes new civic space• Creates a center for Downtown and the city as a whole

Site Plan


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UNION PLAZA

BROA

DWAY

NEW

HIG

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NORT

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STRE

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LA PLAZA

MAIN

STRE

ET

LOS A

NGELES

STRE

ET


OLVER

A STREE

T

SUNSET PASEO

ALL VEH

ICLES

SANC

HEZ S

TREE

T

OLD LO

S ANGEL

ES ST

REET

RAMERIEZ STREET

ARCADIA STREET

ALISO STREET

COMMERCIAL STREET


UNION STATION

PASEO DE LA PALZA

SPRIN

G STRE

ET

MAIN

STRE

ET

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE




PATS

AOUR

AS T

RAN

SIT

PLAZ

AGA

TEW

AY P

LAZA

VIGN

ES S

TREE

T

PASEO DEL RIO

LYO

N S

TREE

T

LYON

STR

EET

PLACITA DE DOLORES

PARK 101

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE

REPUBLIC STREET

EL PU

EBLO

DE L

OS ANGEL

ES

HISTORIC

PARK

PLAZA HISTORIC DISTRICT

STATION DISTRICT

GATEWAY/ CLEAN-TECH

DISTRICT

Site Plan


UNION STATION CONCOURSE HISTORIC STATION

Section View

Station District


RED LINE SUBWAY

AMTRAKMETROLINK

HIGH SPEED RAIL

AUTO PARKINGPASSENGER DROP OFF

HIGH SPEED RAIL + AMTRAK

METRO RAIL GOLD LINE + RED LINEMETRO BUS

PEDESTRIANS

AIR TRAVELVIA LA/ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LA/PALMDALE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BOB HOPE/BURBANK AIRPORT

TAXI

METROLINK COMMUTER RAIL

LOCA

LGL

OBA

L\N

ATIO

NAL

REGI

ON

AL

CON

NEC

TIO

NS

Station District: Access


CONVENTION CENTERSTATION PLAZA GATEWAY

PLAZA

TWO GATEWAY

PLAZA

ONE GATEWAY

PLAZA

HISTORIC STATION ONE STATION PLAZA

UNION STATION CONCOURSE

AMTRAKMETROLINK

RED LINE SUBWAY

OFFICE

OFFICE

PARKING

CHSR STUDIOS HIGH-TECHINDUSTRY

TRANSPORTATIONPRODUCTIONCONSUMPTIONCONVERGENCEU

SES

Section View

Station District: Uses


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UNION PLAZA

BROA

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NEW

HIG

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NORT

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STRE

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LA PLAZA

MAIN

STRE

ET

LOS A

NGELES

STRE

ET


OLVER

A STREE

T

SUNSET PASEO

ALL VEH

ICLES

SANC

HEZ S

TREE

T

OLD LO

S ANGEL

ES ST

REET

RAMERIEZ STREET

ARCADIA STREET

ALISO STREET

COMMERCIAL STREET


UNION STATION

PASEO DE LA PALZA

SPRIN

G STRE

ET

MAIN

STRE

ET

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE



TERMINAL ANNEX(Existing)

PATS

AOUR

AS T

RAN

SIT

PLAZ

AGA

TEW

AY P

LAZA

VIGN

ES S

TREE

T

PASEO DEL RIO

LYO

N S

TREE

T

LYON

STR

EET

PLACITA DE DOLORES

PARK 101

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE

REPUBLIC STREET

EL PU

EBLO

DE L

OS ANGEL

ES

HISTORIC

PARK

EL MONTE BUSWAY

Offi

ce

Reta

il

Retail

Retail

Residential

Restaurants and Retail

CafeRe

staur

ants

and R

etail

(Existi

ng)

Reta

il

MajorRetail

Resid

entia

l

Resid

entia

l

Office

Hotel

Restaurants

Retail

Historic Cemetary

Passenger Connection Union Station toEast Gateway and All Platforms (Existing)

LA Pl

aza d

e

Cultu

ray A

rtes

Mex

ican-

Amer

ican

Cultu

ral C

ente

r

Fireh

ouse

Mus

eum

Histor

ic Avil

a Ado

be

Chine

se-A

merica

n

Mus

eum

Rest

aura

nt

Reta

il

Residential

TWO

GA

TEW

AY

PLAZ

A

FOUR

GA

TEW

AY

PLAZ

A

THRE

E GA

TEW

AY

PLAZ

A

EXIT 2A

EXIT 2A

Post Office

Residential(Existing)

Residential(Existing)

Boutique Hotel

Studios/Media Center

Convention Center

EAST

GAT

EWAY

ONE GATEWAY PLAZAMetropolitanTransportationAuthority(Existing)

Pico House

Plaza

Met

hodis

t Chu

rch

La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora

la Reina de Los Ángeles

MET

ROLI

NK

COM

UTER

RAI

L AN

D CA

LIFO

RNIA

HIG

H SP

EED

RAIL

METRO GOLD LINE LIGHT RAIL

BUSE

S ONLY

I-10 EAST/EL MONTE BUSWAY (BUSES AND HOV ONLY)

VEHICLE UNDERPASS (EXISTING)

EXIT TO ALAMEDA STREET AND DOWNTOWNEXIT TO VIGNES STREET AND 101 FREEWAY

Metropolitan Water District

(Existing)

RetailRe

tail

Residential

Los Angeles Streetcar

Historic Plaza District: Site Plan


Site Plan

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UNION PLAZA

BROA

DWAY

NEW

HIG

H ST

REET

NORT

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RING

STRE

ET



LA PLAZA(1825)

MAIN

STRE

ET

LOS A

NGELES

STRE

ET


OLVER

A STREE

T

SUNSET BOULEVARD/ MARCHESSAULT STREET

ALL VEH

ICLES

SANC

HEZ S

TREE

T

CALL

E DE L

OS NEG

ROS /

LOS A

NGELES

ST.

RAMERIEZ STREET

ARCADIA STREET

ALISO STREET

COMMERCIAL STREET


UNION STATION(1939)

PASEO DE LA PALZA / REPUBLIC ST.

SPRIN

G STRE

ET

MAIN

STRE

ET

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE



PATS

AOUR

AS T

RAN

SIT

PLAZ

AGA

TEW

AY P

LAZA

VIGN

ES S

TREE

T

PASEO DEL RIO

LYO

N S

TREE

T

LYON

STR

EET

PLACITA DE DOLORES(1979)

PARK 101

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE

CALL

E PRI

NCIPA

L / M

AIN ST

REET

SUNSET BLVD / MARCHESSAULT ST.

EL MONTE BUSWAY

Site of Campo Santo

(1826-1844)

Passenger Connection Union Station toEast Gateway and All Platforms (Existing)

Plaza House (1883)

Fireh

ouse

(188

4)

Mus

eum

Avila Adobe(c. 1818)

Garn

ier B

uild

ing (

1890

)

Chin

ese-

Amer

ican

Mus

eum

Residential

TWO

GA

TEW

AY

PLAZ

A

FOUR

GA

TEW

AY

PLAZ

A

THRE

E GA

TEW

AY

PLAZ

A

EXIT 2A

EXIT 2A

Studios/Media Center

Convention Center

EAST

GAT

EWAY

ONE GATEWAY PLAZAMetropolitanTransportationAuthority(Existing)

Pico House(1870)

Plaza

Methodist Church

(1825)

La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora

la Reina de Los Ángeles (1818)

MET

ROLI

NK

COM

UTER

RAI

L AN

D CA

LIFO

RNIA

HIG

H SP

EED

RAIL

METRO GOLD LINE LIGHT RAIL

BUSE

S ONLY

I-10 EAST/EL MONTE BUSWAY (BUSES AND HOV ONLY)

VEHICLE UNDERPASS (EXISTING)

EXIT TO ALAMEDA STREET AND DOWNTOWNEXIT TO VIGNES STREET AND 101 FREEWAY

Plaza Substation(1903)

Site of Casa del Lugo(1870)

Simpson/Jones

Building (1894)

Old Winery

(c. 1870-1915)

Merced Theatre(1870)

NEW BUILDINGSEXISTING HISTORIC BUILDINGSOTHER EXISTING BUILDINGS

Historic Plaza District: Site Plan


Site Plan

RETAIL SIGNAGE RETAIL SIGNAGE RETAIL SIGNAGERETAIL SIGNAGE

OLD LOS ANGELES STREET WEST ELEVATION

Historic Plaza District: Design


Site Plan

PATHS + NODESOPENNESS + ENCLOSURE LANDMARKS

Historic Plaza District: Public Open Space


RESIDENTIAL

COMMERCIAL (Retail and Restaurants)

COMMERCIAL (Hotel)

COMMERCIAL (Office)

CULTURAL (Museums and Churches)

PUBLIC (Transit and Government Office)


UNION PLAZA

LA PLAZA

UNION STATION(1939)

RESIDENTIALCOMMERCIAL (Retail)COMMERCIAL (Hotel)

COMMERCIAL (Office)CULTURAL (Museums and Churches)PUBLIC (Transit and Government Office)

Historic Plaza District: Ground Floor Uses


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UNION PLAZA

BROA

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HIG

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RING

STRE

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LA PLAZA

MAIN

STRE

ET

LOS A

NGELES

STRE

ET


OLVER

A STREE

T

SUNSET PASEO

ALL VEH

ICLES

SANC

HEZ S

TREE

T

OLD LO

S ANGEL

ES ST

REET

RAMERIEZ STREET

ARCADIA STREET

ALISO STREET

COMMERCIAL STREET


UNION STATION

PASEO DE LA PALZA

SPRIN

G STRE

ET

MAIN

STRE

ET

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE




PATS

AOUR

AS T

RAN

SIT

PLAZ

AGA

TEW

AY P

LAZA

VIGN

ES S

TREE

T

PASEO DEL RIO

LYO

N S

TREE

T

LYON

STR

EET

PLACITA DE DOLORES

PARK 101

CESAR CHAVEZ AVE

REPUBLIC STREET

EL PU

EBLO

DE L

OS ANGEL

ES

HISTORIC

PARK

Chin

atow

n

Mus

ic Ce

nter

Little Tokyo

Civic

Cen

ter

Arts District/ Clean Tech Corridor

LA R

iver

Connections


View Corridors

Streetcar Route

Pedestrian Connections

Union Station Site

Image Source: LA Streetcar

Image Source: AEG

Image Source: LA County

Connections

• Restores historic street pattern• Preserves sight-lines to landmarks

• Creates new pedestrian connections• Connects to Downtown Streetcar


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The Next Great American Station

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