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| Dimanche dans La Grande Jatte (1884) George Seurat dailyartmagazine.com |
Welcome to a warm week on the Blog. Yours Truly calls this post "The Escape Edition" because Blogger had to make a quick getaway from Blogger Mum. Sorry about Wednesday's post, the combination of spotty WiFi and a migraine cut short the post. However, Yours Truly will pick it up on Wednesday when the WiFi will be better and hopefully no migraine. Since it is a warm sunny day, let us go to the park.
Sunday in the park with George. George Lucas, that is. The George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is finally coming to Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California. Exposition Park is a lovely green space that is home to the newly named United Airlines Field at the Memorial Coliseum, the California Science Center, and the family friendly Natural History Museum. If you are into roses, you will love the Rose Garden. However, chances are you did not exactly come to Expo Park to smell the roses. Chances are you went there for the giant parking lots and left. Barely, if at all, noticed the park. You are not the only one.
Exposition Park was born in 1872 when the Southern District Agricultural Society bought a 160-tract near present-day Figueroa Street and Exposition Boulevard (kcet.org; date accessed June 10, 2019) to . The Agricultural Society planned to use the tract as a kind of farmer's fairground. The choice of location was a curious one but within the historical context, it made a sensible site for local farmers to display their livestock and produce. (Ibid)
Agricultural Park was just beyond the fringes of Los Angeles' urban growth in 1872, the park's creators encourage new American landowners to take up farming and, by capitalizing on the growth of commercial agricultural, hosted exhibitions. Agricultural Park was successful in promoting profitable uses of Southern California's land, but the fairground was not generating revenue and, in 1879, mortgage creditors foreclosed on the property. (Ibid). In 1932 and 1984, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics and will do so again in 2028. Exposition Park is also home to the brand new Banc of California soccer stadium (latimes.com; Apr. 28, 2019; date accessed June 10, 2019), the resurgent California African American Museum, the Rose Garden, the Expo Center (home to youth sports programs), and the Dr. Theodore T. Alexander Science Center, an elementary school designed by Thom Mayne (Ibid; May 30, 2019)
Sam Lubell writes, "But this remarkable compilation of attractions remains broken, chopped, blocked and dices--a slew of largely car-oriented puzzle pieces interspersed with more than half a dozen outsized parking lots, several faceless access roads and some ugly fences and patches of dirt" (Ibid). Previous revitalization initiatives, including a 1993 master plan led by the California Science Center (Ibid), made some headway in the site's fractious condition, "adding green space (particularly along the park's west edge) and removing some surface parking. But make no mistake: The car--and its In-N-Out culture is still king here" (Ibid)
Billie Greer, the chair of the Master Plan Committee for the Exposition Park board of directors, told the Times,
It's sort of chaos right now,.... We have to remember that people should to come to the park, not just to go to a museum of a stadium. But to exercise. To walk. To sit. To dream a little bit and enjoy the outside . We need some quiet places and some beautiful places" (Ibid).
Change is coming to Exposition Park.
Amorphous officials has commissioned a new master plan coinciding with the most significant park additions in a long times: MAD Architects' Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Ibid; Jan. 10, 2017); the Frederick Fisher and Partners' new wing ((Ibid; Oct. 18, 2017), that will become a new entrance facing the Lucas Museum; and ZGF's Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, the permanent home for the soon to be vertical Space Shuttle. Another item worth noting is USC's ongoing $270 million renovation (Ibid; May 30, 2019).
Spurred on by the changes and the coming 2028 Olympics, the state funded Office of Exposition Park Management--with additional contributions from the park's member institution--hired Washington D.C.-based master planning specialist Torti Gallas + Partners and team of consultants to propose strategies for the park to act, well, more like a park. Given the dubious state of some of Los Angeles' local parks, is the Office of Exposition Park Management sure they want the Park to act like a park? Just thinking out loud.
Torti Gallas principal Neal Payton said, "the attention is on three pedestrian-focused elements meant to undo years of car-focused planning: Link the park to the city around it, connect the park's many pieces to one another, and encourage visitors and locals (South L.A. is, after all, one of the most park-poor areas in the country) to linger through more enticing and more plentiful pathways, plantings and visitor amenities" (Ibid). Mr. Payton added,
Of course car will have a places,.... But they won't dominate everything else (Ibid).
Mr. Payton's firm is developing the park master plan and acknowledges that cars will always be part of the equation, self-driving or not.
Exposition Park, like most of L.A. public spaces, resemble fortifications, surrounded by noisy unattractive roads, with little or no connection to the surrounding area. To fix this, Mr. Payton's firm suggested joining the park and the surrounding community with greener, more lovely edges shaded by trees, well-built promenades, accented with signage, benches, and bike racks (Ibid). Torta Gallas also propose buildings eight new entrances for pedestrians and cars, improving about three more, all closely linked to the park's interior pathway (Ibid). Neal Payton said,
We want to celebrate this as a great civic space,.... You should know that the minute you arrive (Ibid).
Connect the park pieces means putting together and sprucing up the walkable spaces between spaces between the buildings, creating education and recreational moments, adding pedestrian boulevard that could either merge or replace the existing roadways or runways of asphalt as Mr. Payton refers to them. The runways would be repaved and filled with new landscaping, educational kiosks, and trees. New promenades could incorporate an Olympic "Ring Walk" (conveniently placed) around the Coliseum, a "Museum Walk" along Figuroa Street leading to the Lucas Museum on the north side of the park, and a "Neighborhood Walk" along the southern portion of the park.
The point is encouraging people to linger in order to create a more better human experience--a place to read, daydream, eat your lunch--more green space from a community garden. Of course, the expensive, 800 pound gorilla in the room question is where is there space for all of this because all the walks and green areas would require creating underground parking spaces or replacing the flat-top lots with parking structures. Right now, Mr, Payton could not estimate how much all the changes would cost but "ideally three of Expo's lot would go underground, supplanted with parkland filled with native plants, walking areas, dog parks, sports fields and spaces for events" (Ibid). The newly build visitor parking structure would remain; Mr. Payton added "its upper level would remain but the aesthetic character would be improved" (Ibid). Mr. Payton envisions,
I see folks today--mother, father, kid, dog--promenading through the parking lot as if they were in a Parisian park,.... It show there's an aspiration to walk in a public setting. We think that's a fundamental component of making it a great park (Ibid)
A quick exist from the parking lot would be replaced by exploration. Picnicking would replace tailgate parties.
Ana Lasso, the general manager of the Office of Exposition Park Management, told the Los Angeles Times,
Football only happens six to seven times a year here,.... This really needs to be a park, not a placeholder parking lot (Ibid).
Tortas Gallas is still a year away from completing the plan, but even if the scheme's fundamental remain intact, finding the funding and political capital to move the ball forward (slight pun intended) is up in the air. Ms. Lasso is confident that the momentum for the grand project is there. She told the Times, "Energy...has been steadily building with the arrival of Endeavor at the Science Center in 2012, USC's ownership of the Colisuem starting in 2013, the establishment of the Los Angeles Football Club in 2015, the opening of the Expo Line in 2016, and George Lucas' selection of Los Angeles as the site for his new museum in 2017" (Ibid). She added, They've created a new paradigm, a new conversation about wanting to make Expo Park shine (Ibid) The 2028 Olympics has certainly ignited that endeavor.
Currently, the project has not been submitted for public comment, therefore, there has been little criticism. The question of funding is looming in the horizon and if civic officials really want to make this a world class destination, they will need to go further. This means ambitious landscaping and parking plans, informal programming, and investing in the surrounding neighborhood. This means not just a lot of good ideas but good implementation. Yet, Ms. Lasso remains positive that things are aligning in the right direction. Can Exposition Park do for Los Angeles what Millennium Park did for Chicago or Central Park does for New York City? Stay tuned.
Sunday in the park with George. George Lucas, that is. The George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is finally coming to Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California. Exposition Park is a lovely green space that is home to the newly named United Airlines Field at the Memorial Coliseum, the California Science Center, and the family friendly Natural History Museum. If you are into roses, you will love the Rose Garden. However, chances are you did not exactly come to Expo Park to smell the roses. Chances are you went there for the giant parking lots and left. Barely, if at all, noticed the park. You are not the only one.
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| Entrance to Agricultural Park (Exposition Park) Date unknown kcet.org |
Exposition Park was born in 1872 when the Southern District Agricultural Society bought a 160-tract near present-day Figueroa Street and Exposition Boulevard (kcet.org; date accessed June 10, 2019) to . The Agricultural Society planned to use the tract as a kind of farmer's fairground. The choice of location was a curious one but within the historical context, it made a sensible site for local farmers to display their livestock and produce. (Ibid)
Agricultural Park was just beyond the fringes of Los Angeles' urban growth in 1872, the park's creators encourage new American landowners to take up farming and, by capitalizing on the growth of commercial agricultural, hosted exhibitions. Agricultural Park was successful in promoting profitable uses of Southern California's land, but the fairground was not generating revenue and, in 1879, mortgage creditors foreclosed on the property. (Ibid). In 1932 and 1984, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics and will do so again in 2028. Exposition Park is also home to the brand new Banc of California soccer stadium (latimes.com; Apr. 28, 2019; date accessed June 10, 2019), the resurgent California African American Museum, the Rose Garden, the Expo Center (home to youth sports programs), and the Dr. Theodore T. Alexander Science Center, an elementary school designed by Thom Mayne (Ibid; May 30, 2019)
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| Exposition Park from Exposition Boulevard and Figueroa Street Los Angeles, California ust.ucla.edu |
Sam Lubell writes, "But this remarkable compilation of attractions remains broken, chopped, blocked and dices--a slew of largely car-oriented puzzle pieces interspersed with more than half a dozen outsized parking lots, several faceless access roads and some ugly fences and patches of dirt" (Ibid). Previous revitalization initiatives, including a 1993 master plan led by the California Science Center (Ibid), made some headway in the site's fractious condition, "adding green space (particularly along the park's west edge) and removing some surface parking. But make no mistake: The car--and its In-N-Out culture is still king here" (Ibid)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/KMD11ExpPkRoseGarden_0045-5988a753aad52b0010e712d5.jpg) |
| Exposition Park Rose Garden with Natural History Museum tripsavvy.com |
Billie Greer, the chair of the Master Plan Committee for the Exposition Park board of directors, told the Times,
It's sort of chaos right now,.... We have to remember that people should to come to the park, not just to go to a museum of a stadium. But to exercise. To walk. To sit. To dream a little bit and enjoy the outside . We need some quiet places and some beautiful places" (Ibid).
Change is coming to Exposition Park.
| Rendering for new additions to Exposition Park latimes.com |
Spurred on by the changes and the coming 2028 Olympics, the state funded Office of Exposition Park Management--with additional contributions from the park's member institution--hired Washington D.C.-based master planning specialist Torti Gallas + Partners and team of consultants to propose strategies for the park to act, well, more like a park. Given the dubious state of some of Los Angeles' local parks, is the Office of Exposition Park Management sure they want the Park to act like a park? Just thinking out loud.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/KMD11LASwimmingStadium_0014lg-5989079b9abed500107e4fa9.jpg) |
| Los Angeles Swimming Stadium Exposition Park tripsavvy.com |
Torti Gallas principal Neal Payton said, "the attention is on three pedestrian-focused elements meant to undo years of car-focused planning: Link the park to the city around it, connect the park's many pieces to one another, and encourage visitors and locals (South L.A. is, after all, one of the most park-poor areas in the country) to linger through more enticing and more plentiful pathways, plantings and visitor amenities" (Ibid). Mr. Payton added,
Of course car will have a places,.... But they won't dominate everything else (Ibid).
Mr. Payton's firm is developing the park master plan and acknowledges that cars will always be part of the equation, self-driving or not.
Exposition Park, like most of L.A. public spaces, resemble fortifications, surrounded by noisy unattractive roads, with little or no connection to the surrounding area. To fix this, Mr. Payton's firm suggested joining the park and the surrounding community with greener, more lovely edges shaded by trees, well-built promenades, accented with signage, benches, and bike racks (Ibid). Torta Gallas also propose buildings eight new entrances for pedestrians and cars, improving about three more, all closely linked to the park's interior pathway (Ibid). Neal Payton said,
We want to celebrate this as a great civic space,.... You should know that the minute you arrive (Ibid).
 |
| California Science Center Exposition Park californiasciencecenter.org |
Connect the park pieces means putting together and sprucing up the walkable spaces between spaces between the buildings, creating education and recreational moments, adding pedestrian boulevard that could either merge or replace the existing roadways or runways of asphalt as Mr. Payton refers to them. The runways would be repaved and filled with new landscaping, educational kiosks, and trees. New promenades could incorporate an Olympic "Ring Walk" (conveniently placed) around the Coliseum, a "Museum Walk" along Figuroa Street leading to the Lucas Museum on the north side of the park, and a "Neighborhood Walk" along the southern portion of the park.
The point is encouraging people to linger in order to create a more better human experience--a place to read, daydream, eat your lunch--more green space from a community garden. Of course, the expensive, 800 pound gorilla in the room question is where is there space for all of this because all the walks and green areas would require creating underground parking spaces or replacing the flat-top lots with parking structures. Right now, Mr, Payton could not estimate how much all the changes would cost but "ideally three of Expo's lot would go underground, supplanted with parkland filled with native plants, walking areas, dog parks, sports fields and spaces for events" (Ibid). The newly build visitor parking structure would remain; Mr. Payton added "its upper level would remain but the aesthetic character would be improved" (Ibid). Mr. Payton envisions,
I see folks today--mother, father, kid, dog--promenading through the parking lot as if they were in a Parisian park,.... It show there's an aspiration to walk in a public setting. We think that's a fundamental component of making it a great park (Ibid)
A quick exist from the parking lot would be replaced by exploration. Picnicking would replace tailgate parties.
 |
| Olympic Memorial Stadium Exposition Park cardcow.com |
Ana Lasso, the general manager of the Office of Exposition Park Management, told the Los Angeles Times,
Football only happens six to seven times a year here,.... This really needs to be a park, not a placeholder parking lot (Ibid).
Tortas Gallas is still a year away from completing the plan, but even if the scheme's fundamental remain intact, finding the funding and political capital to move the ball forward (slight pun intended) is up in the air. Ms. Lasso is confident that the momentum for the grand project is there. She told the Times, "Energy...has been steadily building with the arrival of Endeavor at the Science Center in 2012, USC's ownership of the Colisuem starting in 2013, the establishment of the Los Angeles Football Club in 2015, the opening of the Expo Line in 2016, and George Lucas' selection of Los Angeles as the site for his new museum in 2017" (Ibid). She added, They've created a new paradigm, a new conversation about wanting to make Expo Park shine (Ibid) The 2028 Olympics has certainly ignited that endeavor.
Currently, the project has not been submitted for public comment, therefore, there has been little criticism. The question of funding is looming in the horizon and if civic officials really want to make this a world class destination, they will need to go further. This means ambitious landscaping and parking plans, informal programming, and investing in the surrounding neighborhood. This means not just a lot of good ideas but good implementation. Yet, Ms. Lasso remains positive that things are aligning in the right direction. Can Exposition Park do for Los Angeles what Millennium Park did for Chicago or Central Park does for New York City? Stay tuned.
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