Comparing A Manhattan Landmark With L.A.'s Grand Avenue Project

The Frank Gehry-designed Grand Avenue project in downtown Los Angeles looks to a well-known Manhattan urban landmark for inspiration. Will it work?

1 minute read

June 19, 2006, 2:00 PM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Wedged between Lincoln Center and the theater district, Columbus Circle had long been known as an urban landmark...The 'mini-city' boasts some of New York's most expensive restaurants as well as luxury condos, a five-star hotel, a Whole Foods Market and, soon, a museum â€" all within a few blocks...a visit to Manhattan makes it clear that despite some similarities, replicating the upscale atmosphere and vibrant pedestrian life of Columbus Circle is going to be a challenge..."

"In Columbus Circle, the upscale businesses are sustained both by residents who live nearby and workers at the center's namesake company, media titan Time Warner. Though Grand Avenue will have some office space in its third phase, most of the high-rise units are set aside for hotel rooms, condos and low-income affordable housing..."

"Architect Jeffrey Inaba...says comparing the two projects underscores an inherent contradiction in L.A.'s effort to bring urban vitality to downtown... The ironic thing would be that [Los Angeles], a city that is largely suburban, aspiring to have its first urban destination, would be copying an urban city that has a suburban destination.'"

"Laurie Olin, a landscape designer who redesigned Columbus Circle as part of the Related project, will try his hand at Grand Avenue. Early designs show rooftop pools, garden space and trees planted at angles hanging down from upper stories."

Monday, June 19, 2006 in

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

April 22 - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

April 22 - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

April 22 - Urban Edge