Urban co-existence : a new typology for transit exchange in an automobile dominated city

Abstract

Delineated by the reign of the automobile, the urban fabric of Los Angeles is a landscape of superblocks, six lane highways, and an abundance of parking lots. These residual urban voids intensify the spatial chasm between vehicle and pedestrian. As an exploration of co-existence, this thesis seeks to reconcile the prevalent chasm and create a new urban typology for transit exchange in the automobile dominated context of downtown Los Angeles. Out of the freedom and mobility engendered by the automobile emerged a disengaged public. Experiencing the city's ground only within the confines of his vehicle, the individual has lost direct contact with public space. My design proposes a mixed use center for transit exchange. The consolidation of surface transport, parking, public space, and housing along Grand Avenue provides the impetus for constant human presence in a space of dormant potential. Breaking the current pattern of isolation by utilizing the existing framework of public transportation, the design of this nodal exchange encourages the individual to abandon the car and encounter the ground plane, reclaiming it for the the public and connecting the individual to the city.