Josh Stephens reports on the Pershing Square Renew Design Challenge, an effort to redo one of the "world's worst squares and plazas." The new Pershing Square may hearken back to the years before its misguided 1992 redesign.
For Next City, Josh Stephens discusses downtown L.A.'s unloved public square. "The same 1992 redesign that brought the follies and bold colors also built parapets, curb cuts and expanses of concrete that cordon off the square from the surrounding sidewalks and make it look more like a bunker than a park. It does not exactly encourage public assembly [...] Without the centuries-long history of pedestrian traffic that East Coast cities have, the square tries to inspire pedestrianism rather than respond to it."
After a lengthy process including public outreach and a design competition, those who want to resurrect Pershing Square are pushing forward. "Next week, three finalists will be chosen in the Pershing Square Renew Design Challenge [...] It may yet become the center that Los Angeles is so often accused of not having."
The new design may simply turn back the clock on 1992's garishness. "Pershing Square Renew’s design challenge therefore presents an exercise in restraint. Just as the current design is overproduced, the winning design may turn out to be the one that is the most understated."
"With a design team chosen by April, Pershing Square Renew hopes to secure funding to put the reopening of the square on track for 2019."
FULL STORY: Los Angeles Seeks to Revive “Worst Public Space in America”
L.A.'s New Pershing Square Will Be 'Radically Flat'
After stakeholder engagement and an international design competition, Agence Ter's plan for "radical flatness" has been selected to replace downtown L.A.'s current Pershing Square. The preferred alternative is, above all, simple.
L.A.'s Pershing Square Headed for Redesign
The first phases of a plan to remake the downtown Los Angeles plaza into a more inviting, accessible public space are going to kick off soon.
Los Angeles Searches for Improvements to the Much-Maligned Pershing Square
A series of public outreach events are being held in Pershing Square to determine how to make the park more engaging. Live music and fewer physical barriers to entry are among the ideas suggested.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Median Home Prices Top $1 Million in Over 200 California Towns
Towns once known for their affordability are seeing sharply rising home prices.
LA County Receives Reconnecting Communities Grants
Seven grant awards totaling $162 million will be used for planning, capital projects, and regional partnerships to reduce environmental harm and improve access in disadvantaged communities.
Seine Pollution Could Hinder Olympic Swim Events
Events like the triathlon could be impacted if tests continue to reveal high levels of dangerous bacteria in Paris’ famous river.
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
City of Cleburne
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
