Running head: LOS ANGELES UNION STATION AS A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT LOS ANGELES UNION STATION AS A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Los Angeles Union Station as a Sustainable Development Project Institution Course Name Name Date I. Development description of rebuilding the Union Station in Los Angeles Located strategically in Northeastern of Downtown Los Angeles, the Union Station celebrated its 75th anniversary this year since it began operations. Owned by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a private governing body, this public facility serves approximately 1.643 million passengers a year.  Significant dates of this station include beginning official operation in 1939, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and became part of the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1972 (Maltzan, 2011). In September 17, 2014 the master vision of upgrading this facility was revealed. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) revealed the final project’s master plan that seek to transform this historic station into a more modern facility in the contemporary environment that need sustainability. II. Purpose of rebuilding The Union Station is due for major innovation to build a modern super transportation station. Although several projects including New transit station on El Monte Busway, Southern California Regional Interconnect Project, and Former Run-Through Tracks Project have been proposed before and fail to receive attention from legislators, the approved 2014 master plan was developed for California High-Speed Rail project. This project seeks to transform the Union Station into a major hub of transportation with new rail system and new railway station infrastructure. The Metro Authority indicated that the California High-Speed Rail system project will improve rail transportation and passengers will be able to travel from this station to Transbay Terminal in San Francisco in less than three hours(Chester and Horvath, 2010). As the master plan of the new station reveal, the project will feature aerial structures that will be built above the existing platform and underground structures. Apart from improving transportation, increasing convenience and serving more passengers, this project aims to utilize resource in order to enhance sustainability in the transport sector in California. In America, California is the most populous State, with most polluted cities from motor vehicles, port operations and various industries; any sustainable transportation project is welcome.   III. Demographic Snapshot of the Los Angeles The neighborhood is an important stakeholder and a major consideration during a major infrastructure development. The proposed station will have numerous activities going on during building. During the process of rebuilding this station, it is expected to give inconveniences to the Los Angeles residents and neighboring residen.

1. Running head: LOS ANGELES UNION STATION AS A
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
LOS ANGELES UNION STATION AS A SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Los Angeles Union Station as a Sustainable Development
Project
Institution
Course Name
Name
Date

2. I. Development description of rebuilding the Union Station in
Los Angeles
Located strategically in Northeastern of Downtown Los
Angeles, the Union Station celebrated its 75th anniversary this
year since it began operations. Owned by Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a private governing
body, this public facility serves approximately 1.643 million
passengers a year. Significant dates of this station include
beginning official operation in 1939, added to the National
Register of Historic Places in 1980 and became part of the Los
Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1972 (Maltzan, 2011).
In September 17, 2014 the master vision of upgrading this
facility was revealed. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro) revealed the final project’s
master plan that seek to transform this historic station into a
more modern facility in the contemporary environment that need
sustainability.
II. Purpose of rebuilding
The Union Station is due for major innovation to build a modern
super transportation station. Although several projects including
New transit station on El Monte Busway, Southern California

3. Regional Interconnect Project, and Former Run-Through Tracks
Project have been proposed before and fail to receive attention
from legislators, the approved 2014 master plan was developed
for California High-Speed Rail project. This project seeks to
transform the Union Station into a major hub of transportation
with new rail system and new railway station infrastructure. The
Metro Authority indicated that the California High-Speed Rail
system project will improve rail transportation and passengers
will be able to travel from this station to Transbay Terminal in
San Francisco in less than three hours(Chester and Horvath,
2010). As the master plan of the new station reveal, the project
will feature aerial structures that will be built above the existing
platform and underground structures. Apart from improving
transportation, increasing convenience and serving more
passengers, this project aims to utilize resource in order to
enhance sustainability in the transport sector in California. In
America, California is the most populous State, with most
polluted cities from motor vehicles, port operations and various
industries; any sustainable transportation project is welcome.
III. Demographic Snapshot of the Los Angeles
The neighborhood is an important stakeholder and a major
consideration during a major infrastructure development. The
proposed station will have numerous activities going on during
building. During the process of rebuilding this station, it is
expected to give inconveniences to the Los Angeles residents
and neighboring residents who use this station on their daily
activities. Although the development is aimed at improving
transportation, the public has to bear the cost of inconvenience
that will be caused during rebuilding the Union Station.
a. Description of the population in Los Angeles city
The city of Los Angeles is the most populous city in California
and second-most populous city in USA after New York. Located
South of California, the city’s approximately 4 million residents
are referred as Angelons because they represent the leading city
with ethnically diverse population. Los Angeles county is

4. popular because it is the focal entertainment and tourist point of
the popular Long Beach attracting a total of 7, 544.6 people
living in one square mile and 1, 413,995 housing unit with a
median population age of 34.1 years (USCB, 2013). The racial
composition in this city comprise of dominant White, Black
American, Hispanic and Asian respectively. It is a home to
people from 140 countries speaking more than 200 distinct
languages. Interestingly, Los Angeles has the second largest
Jews population in the U.S.
b. Economic characteristics
In terms of economic activities, Los Angeles is described as a
global city accommodating local and international businesses.
The population in this city generates its revenue from
entertainment, media, fashion, culture, science, technology,
sports, and educational research in pharmaceutical industry and
medicine. LA ranks 6th in the Global Cities Index (GCI). It
also ranks 9th in the Global Economic Power Index (GEPI).
These two economic metrics makes it a dependable engine of
American economy. The popular world renowned movie and TV
production Hollywood is here making the city a leader in
motion picture creation (Maltzan, 2011). Video products
through their advertisement and marketing power have given the
city significant revenue. Other notable revenue resources in this
location include: petroleum, tourism due to the popular Long
Beach, and apparels. Long beach is the home of the 5th busiest
port in the world (USCB, 2013). Telecommunication, law,
finance, healthcare and transportation form the other significant
industries in this region. With its economic descriptions, the
populations in this city need an effective and convenient
transport system. If the Union Station’s current master plan
under the California High Speed Rail project is going to be
adopted, it promises great improvement in a sustainable
transportation system that will not look like a burden but
transport companion.

5. c) Social character
Los Angeles is a global city with cross to 200 global tribes
living here. It is a multicultural hub that accommodates
different cultures some of them integrated while others are still
pure. These tribes have different social processes and LA
cannot be described with one particular culture. The multiple
cultures, the landscape, the modern nature of the city, the
weather, the economic power, which bring opportunities and
political reality, attract people to live in this city. Apart from
economic opportunities, personal relationships also contribute
to social status of Los Angeles residents. Couples living here
and those who have moved here confess that this city has
everything a modern family need. Everything is here, even if
someone stayed here for their entire lives and without feeling
the urge to move outside the city (Maltzan, 2011). Even the
homeowner vacancy rate is approximated at 2.1% indicating the
demand in housing and accommodation in this region. The high
demand for housing and homeownership show that Los Angeles
would accommodate more families who are craving to live here.
IV) Environmental impact rebuilding Union Station
Before analyzing the potential environmental concerns with the
proposed rebuilding of Union Station, Los Angeles has for a
long time suffered from air poisoning. This city was among
various cities in America that led to the development of the
Clean Air Act that try to regulate the amount of air poisoning
allowed in any city (Gerard and Lave, 2005). Since LA is a
populous city with numerous activities going on at the same
time, numerous automotives including personal vehicles, transit
vehicles, public transport vehicles, industry motor vehicles such
as lifting machines, airport and port operations inevitably
produce exhaust, which accumulates and become lethal to the
air. Unlike other cities that experience frequent rainfalls, this
region receives approximately 380mm rainfall each year. This
rainfall is not significant in washing the smog that build in this
city for a lengthy time of the year due to carbon emissions.
Through the Clean Air Act regulations and California’s

6. initiative in trying to reduce carbon emission, efforts are being
made in quick succession to reduce the number of carbon
emission vehicles and machines from operation Gerard and
Lave, 2005. Some of the actions being taken to restore clean air
include using technological vehicles such as electric vehicles,
hybrid cars, high tech mass transit systems and other initiatives
as the current project of building a greener and sustainable
Union Station. With these environmental concerns, the proposed
rebuilding of the Union Station in Los Angeles is one of the key
projects aiming at enhancing clean air. However, this project
has also attracted criticism for its cost effectiveness in terms of
environmental cycle assessment. Critics point out that, building
the station will have direct and indirect effects on the
environment. Complex structures have indirect emission and
building a complex station will have direct effects for pose as a
health hazard because of the material use effect. The complex
materials and supplies that will be used in this construction
require shipping and manufacturing. These processes increase
emissions contrary to one of the goals of the project. However,
the environmental life cycles analysis of the impact of this
project indicates that rebuilding the Union Station as proposed
is cost-effective in terms of economy and environmental
friendliness (Chester and Horvath, 2010).
V. Overall impacts of the development on the neighborhood
Los Angeles is already developed with an effective and reliable
transportation system. However, this city continues to become
popular for short term and long terms visits. The economic and
infrastructure development in this city continue to grow hence
attracting more local and international investment. Although the
city is already overpopulated, it continues to attract more
activities. In addition to the issue of reducing carbon emissions,
Angelons will benefit from the Union Station’s upgrade in terms
of convenient travel in long distances while increasing
economic opportunities associated with the transportation.
a) Evidence for tax revenue
The newly proposed station plan was developed on the call of

7. high speed rail system. Definitely, the objective of this rail
system is to increase efficiency hence increasing the economic
and social life for Los Angeles residents and its neighbors. In
terms of tourist gain, the high speed rail system that will travel
over long distance will be cheaper than air travel and faster than
bus or vehicle travel(Chester and Horvath, 2010).Potential
visitors will consider that it is cost-effective and will always
prefer this tourist spot as compared to any other place.
b). Evidence for safety
The proposed modern architectural Union Station attracts
criticism for various safety issues. For example, the speed rail
system will encourage crime activities including terrorism
threat because passengers with ill motives will find easy and
quick access to Los Angeles. Since this city is an economic and
entertainment hub in the Western Hemisphere, it is more
vulnerable to terrorism and creating a system for efficient travel
will also encourage this crime (Hakim, 2009). Nevertheless, the
Department of Homeland Security has a mandate to screen all
long distance travelers including when they are on board.
Nevertheless, from the safety assessment report, this project is
cost effective and has no threat to the public.
References

8. Chester, M. and Horvath, A. (2010).Life-Cycle Environmental
Assessment of California High Speed Rail.Access.No. 37.
Retrieved on October 1, 2014 from
http://www.uctc.net/access/37/access37_assessing_hsr.pdf
Gerard, D. and Lave, L.B. (2005). Implementating technology-
forcing policies: The 1970 Clean Air Act Amendments and the
introduction of advanced automotive emissions controls in the
United States. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 72
(7): 761-778.
Hakim, S. (2009).Safeguarding Homeland Security. Dordrecht:
Springer.
Maltzan, M. (2011).No More Play: Conversations on Urban
Speculation in Los Angeles and Beyond. HatjeCantz. University
of Southern California. Retrieved on October 1, 2014 from
http://placesjournal.org/article/no-more-play//
United States Census Bureau (2013).Los Angeles (City),
California State & County QuickFacts. Retrieved on October 1,
2014 from
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0644000.html
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