The document discusses urban design proposals for the Florence/La Brea station area in downtown Inglewood, focusing on improving connectivity, walkability, and the variety of housing. Key strategies include creating a downtown boardwalk, capping rail tracks for safety, and enhancing public spaces with greenery and art. It outlines the need for better pedestrian pathways, parking solutions, and community engagement to revitalize the area and support local businesses.

1. Stephanie Byrd
Boardwalk Inglewood
USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
531L: Urban Design Lab
Fall 2012

2. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Base Map: Existing Conditions
Disconnect Issues
- North side of Florence is disconnected from
Ce
n
ti n
Downtown because of the rail line
ela
- Crossing Florence is dangerous because of no
Av
e
clear pedestrian pathway
ve
eA
lor
en
c Scale Issues
F
E - Large big box store against the single family
housing
- High speed roads (Florence and La Brea)
surround walkable Downtown
N Hillcrest Blvd
Program Issues
- Not enough housing to accommodate a TOD
e
- Numerous vacant buildings and lots
Av
Gr
ac
e - Vacant block (D3 lot)
- Insufficient green space Downtown
N
La
Bre
a
Project Site
Ave
N Market St
Single Family Residential
N Locust St
Ave
W Flor ence
Multi Family Residential
Commercial
E Regent St
Institutional (School and Cemetery)
N La Brea Ave
Recreational (Park)
Civic Use (Government Facility)
Light Industrial
E Queen St
Parking Lot or Structure
Railroad Tracks
E Manchester Blvd N
250 feet
Stephanie Byrd

3. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Site Plan: Boardwalk Inglewood
New Connective Measures
- Continue streetscape of Market Street
Ce
n
ti n
- Recess and cap rail tracks between Centinela
ela
and La Brea
Av
e
- Increase walkability with defined pathways
- Provide a “Downtown Boardwalk” with
canopies, public art, paving, and landscaping
ve
c eA
en
Flor
E
New Scaled Development
- Increase variety of housing downtown
- Scale gradation of program and soft vs.
N Hillcrest Blvd
hardscape for ease of understanding site
- Selectively demolish repetitive program and
vacant buildings for public space
New Public Space
at sit
e
Av
St ran
n
io
e
T ac
Gr
- Increase public and green space downtown
N
- Increase use of local businesses with plazas
La
- Connect local businesses through alleys
Bre
a
- Expand civic center with flexible plaza space
Ave
- Reinvigorate historic theater with plaza space
Housing
Block
Single Family Residential
N Market St
N Locust St
A
Multi Family Residential
Ave
W Flor ence
A
Commercial
Office
Block
Mixed Use (Commercial and Multi-Family)
E Regent St
Institutional
N La Brea Ave
Entertainment
Block Recreational
Civic Use Hardscape
Commercial
Block
E Queen St Light Industrial Iconic Canopy Structure
Parking Large Scale Public Art
Railroad Tracks Tree-Lined Street Furniture
E Manchester Blvd N
250 feet
Stephanie Byrd

4. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Circulation Plan: Pedestrians Connections
Existing Vehicular Circulation
- Florence and La Brea are the highest speed
Ce
n
ti n
streets in the surrounding area
ela
- Two existing parking structures, one on La
Av
e
Brea, the other on Locust
e Proposed Vehicular Circulation
e Av
enc - Add underground parking structures to newly
lor
EF developed lots
- Extend alley system in newly developed lots
N Hillcrest Blvd
Existing Pedestrian Circulation
- Park and Cemetery paths are both used for
recreational uses
- Walkability is the most improved on Market
Street
at sit
e
Av
St ran
n
io
e
T ac
Gr
Proposed Pedestrian Circulation
N
La
- Cap rail tracks to ease access from the North
Bre
- Add large crosswalk across Florence for safety
a
Ave
and increasing walkability
- Design elements to string the TOD site to
Downtown (canopies, paving, hard/softscape)
- Program alleyways to encourage use
N Market St
N Locust St
Ave
W Flor ence
parking
structure
E Regent St
N La Brea Ave
parking
structure
Pedestrian Access
E Queen St
Vehicular Access
parking
structure New Underground Parking Structures
E Manchester Blvd N
250 feet
Stephanie Byrd

5. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Precedent: Boardwalk Design
Cleveland, Ohio
Perk Park redesign (2012)
- Variety of spaces
- Streetfront canopy acts as buffer
- Different tree groupings signify different uses
and spaces
- Incorporated lighting to provide 24-hour use
Chicago, Illinois
Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo (2010)
- Iconic structure
- Provides sense of arrival
- Programmable space
- Incorporated lighting to provide 24-hour use
Lattice Canopy Tree Canopy Buffer Canopy Colored Canopy
Stephanie Byrd

6. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Precedent: Alleyway Design
Los Angeles, California
Green Infrastructure for LA (2008)
- Mission: Transform uninviting, concrete
corridors into safe, green, community spaces
- Players: The Trust for Public Land, City of
Los Angeles’ Community Redevelopment
Agency, Bureau of Sanitation, USC’s Center
for Sustainable Cities
- Techniques: Pavement in light colors; street
signage and lighting to bring people in; native
plants; storm water capture from streets
Chicago, Illinois
Green Alleys (2006-2007)
- Mission: Improve storm water management
- Players: Chicago Department of
Transporation
- Techniques: Use local, recyclable materials
to repave streets; install lighting; create a book
of manageable options for improvements
Different Paving Tree-Lined Continue Canopies Continue Plaza
Stephanie Byrd

7. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Precedent: Street Furniture and Features
Bilbao, Spain
The Garden that Climbs the Stairs (2009)
- Different textures and materials in the planter
- Draws attention to the site
- Can be about moving up and down the stairs
or resting
- Uses both the vertical and horizontal plane
- Acts as linkage between spaces
Madrid, Spain
Plaza de Santo Domingo (2007)
- Incorporate landscaping in furniture
- Plays with ground plane
- Added green space
Material Changes Plane Changes Paths B
Business Incorporation
Stephanie Byrd

8. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Precedent: Plaza Design
Chicago, Illinois
Federal Center Plaza (1959-1974)
- Iconic sculptural art
- Open space for farmer’s market and large
gatherings
- Low benches and raised planters marking the
edges of the plaza
Be’ersheba, Israel
Ben-Gurion University Square (2009)
- Strips of concrete and greenery
- Incorporated lighting to provide 24-hour use
- Sporadic seating arrangements
- Non-linear pedestrian paths
Public Art Projects Plaza Furniture Greenery Access Points
Stephanie Byrd

9. Florence/La Brea Station TOD Downtown Inglewood, CA Site Section A-A: Undulating Levels
New Connective Measures
- Public art projects direct visitors in and out of
plazas, allowing for easy Downtown circulation
- New alley in between Market St and Locust St
eases vehicular circulation
New Scaled Development
- Scale of projects grow as the get farther away
from the single family residential neighborhood
and closer to the Civic Center
New Public Space
- Plaza spaces welcome visitors with greenery,
street furniture, and public art
- Underground parking structures free up the
ground plane for buildings, open space, and
greenery
Existing Commercial La Brea Ave Office Towers Market St Mixed Use Development Alley Apartment Complex Locust St Existing Residential
50 ft
Stephanie Byrd