|
Urban Planners’ Gold Line Project Wins American Planning Association Award
Posted on May 10, 2007
A joint urban design studio project by graduate students from UCLA’s departments of urban planning and architecture has won first place in the academic project category of the American Planning Association’s Los Angeles Chapter.
The project, an analysis of the urban form and context around three Metro Rail Gold Line stations in Pasadena, was part of the the 10-week studio, a graduate level course taught by Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, chair of the Department of Urban Planning, and Professor Jurg Lang, from UCLA’s Department of Architecture.
Fourteen urban planning students and four architecture students proposed urban design plans for the development of vibrant transit station neighborhoods for the Lake, Allen and Sierra Madre stations of the Gold Line. The planning department of Pasadena asked the students to develop comprehensive urban design plans that would accommodate significantly higher residential densities for the three stations which lack characteristics of other Gold Line stations in Pasadena.
John R. Poindexter, planning division manager for the City of Pasadena’s Planning and Development Department said he was impressed with the diligence with which the studio was conducted and with the innovation displayed by the completed projects. “I found much to utilize in this effort,” said Poindexter, adding, “The overall thought and analysis was consistent with a high standard of care and reflects favorably on the instructional staff at UCLA.”
During the 10-week studio The students produced a report including a site analysis of the three station areas, projections for housing demand for the next 20-25 years, identification of development constraints and opportunities, and urban design plans with concrete proposals about housing, commercial and mixed use development, pedestrian and vehicular circulation and parking, open space development and planning for the three stations.
An award ceremony is planned for June 12 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles, Cathedral Plaza. The event, sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Planning Association, will recognize planners, designers, planning firms and agencies, educators, leaders and journalists throughout Los Angeles County.
The LA APA recognizes and rewards projects, individuals and organizations that typify excellence in planning and generally advances the planning profession. The purpose of the awards program is to recognize quality planning efforts and enhance public awareness of achievement in the planning field.
|
