After 25 years in conception and a recently renewed master planning effort, the 150-acre Piggyback Yards still awaits funding and approval from the city, reports The Architect's Newspaper.
Chief among the challenges facing the Piggyback Yards is acquisition of the site, writes Zen Vuong, with landowner Union Pacific Railroad hesitant to part with its rail yard properties despite operations there being under capacity. The project would remake the site at the intersection of downtown Los Angeles, Lincoln Heights, and Boyle Heights as a mixed-use development, with vertical construction of residential, commercial and light industrial buildings in order to preserve 130-acres of the site as a public park.
Until as recently as May 2010, The PBy Collaboration, a group of architects and landscape architects, were working pro bono on the project for the non-profit group Friends of the Los Angeles River, but further involvement by city officials is needed before the project can progress in even a piecemeal fashion, says Vuong:
"A small piece of the plan, the Mission Road corridor, is almost free of UP ownership. This portion of Mission Road, which lies between Cesar Chavez Avenue and Main Street, is about one mile of arterial roadway lined by commercial or industrial buildings. The PBy Collaboration has been talking to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and various city council and city planning members to start work on this area."
FULL STORY: Piggyback Yards Still Not Rollin' on the River
Talking Design with Rios, Clementi, Hale
A varied involvement in architecture, landscaping, planning and product design has allowed the practice of Rios, Clementi, Hale to weather the recession. The designers describe to Marissa Gluck how they have navigated a path through divergent fields.
The Need for an Equitable L.A. River Revitalization
Jon Christensen urges Los Angeles to ensure that new park amenities serve, rather than displace, the river's low-income communities.
A Bold Housing Vision for the L.A. River
An unsolicited proposal from the engineering firm reimagines a stretch along the L.A. River as a mixed-use mega-development, rich in housing and jobs.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.
Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.
More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions