A city should not provide more for
its machines than it does for its people, and the reduction of one can lead to
the improvement of the other.
While visiting Los Angeles, an Uber driver warned me of two things that plague the city: “The homeless and the traffic.” And although it may be an extreme simplification, he was right; both are commonly known to be large problems. Yet, while both are abundant, neither are unique to L.A. The incredible shortage of affordable housing is a blemish on most large cities, and heavy traffic produces pollution that lowers the quality of life for all that live there.
My project attempts to assist both of these issues. The project proposes that parking garages and lots be renovated to include retail spaces, public amenities, and low-income housing. It has been shown that reducing a city’s parking can reduce personal driving and increase public transportation usage. Already, a number of cities have begun to close and demolish public parking spaces to reach that goal. Instead of tearing down the buildings, which are otherwise structurally sound, I suggest we take what is already standing and inject new programs into it.
The mixed-use program I propose, as well as the ubiquity of parking garages in high-population locales, ensures that residents have access to opportunities within the city that traditional shelters or low-income constructions may lack. It also ensures that those in need are not relocated en masse into one area, allowing for smoother public interaction and integration. Though my project focuses mainly on one type of parking garage, it can applied to nearly all parking, including surface lots. Following my proposal, a typical city can house thousands of people, increase walkability, reduce sprawl, and provide a healthier environment for its residents.