Urban Design in Santa Monica

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71965087159051593272012-02-16T03:50:50.882-08:00Urban Design in Santa MonicaA discussion of Urban Design Issues affecting the city (formerly a discussion of the demerits of Proposition T, a.k.a. RIFT)Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.comBlogger281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-90670186858944472242009-02-10T17:35:00.000-08:002009-02-11T14:17:01.809-08:00Sustainable Cities - They're walkable

A recent article on the web site fo the Center for American Progress http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/02/green_transit.html provides listings of the "greenest" cities by transit use and walkability. The article compiled different rankings that judged cities, "not only on how much transit they endorse, support, and make available but also on how many dwellers actually use that transit."

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-46061185845966604782009-02-10T14:38:00.000-08:002009-02-11T09:17:49.494-08:00The days when we were just building sprawl forever, those days are over

It has been over three months since I've posted to this blog, but President Obama's remarks today have inspired me to get back in the game. Today, at a 'town hall' meeting in Fort Meyers, FL he said:I’d like for us to invest in mass transit, because potentially that’s energy efficient. I think people are a lot more open now to thinking regionally. The days when we were just building sprawl

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-67998828075730076952008-11-12T16:37:00.000-08:002008-11-12T17:03:22.744-08:00RIFT is History -- Now what?

One of my big problems with Prop T, was that it was the wrong strategy to solve the problem. I don't think we should be focused on not allowing traffic to get less horrific than it would otherwise be, (as Prop T supporters admitted was the goal) but instead we should be focused on real traffic reduction strategies, with a goal of reducing overall traffic in the city by 25%, all this without

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-45409663349778737232008-11-07T11:06:00.000-08:002008-11-08T09:05:18.477-08:00The Real Message from the Rejection of Proposition T

The Blame Game has begun. With the rejection Proposition T, RIFT supporters have unleashed a barrage of explanations and recriminations. These mostly deal with the money spent by “out of state” developers. We’ve also been reminded that virtually half of Santa Monicans supported the measure.Supporters of Prop T seemed to miss the message imbedded in the vote.This was not a close election. By

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-58750975659107314532008-11-04T23:49:00.000-08:002008-11-06T17:11:35.917-08:00Way to Go Santa Monica!!

Well, we dodged a big one last night. Proposition T was defeated by a 12% majority. That strikes me as a victory for the LUCE process, and a defeat of ad hoc planning by a strident minority. Over the next few weeks I will transform this blog into one that advocates on urban design and planning issues in the city, but for now, I will just enjoy. Congratulations to all who worked against this

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-34873840354323867732008-10-26T16:48:00.000-07:002008-10-28T10:33:59.994-07:00Why Proposition T May Not Be Good for Local Shop Owners

One of the curious arguments that I've heard in support of Proposition T is that by capping commercial development in the City we will be supporting Mom and Pop stores. To be fair, this is not the main argument in favor of the measure, but it has been offered as something of an indirect benefit. I assume that the belief is that by limiting new commercial development we will be minimizing the

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-75548027360236713902008-10-25T08:13:00.000-07:002008-10-26T11:08:30.545-07:00Proposition T is a Simplistic Solution to Complex Problem

According the flyer I just received in the mail, the authors of Proposition T claim that it is very well written. However, I beg to disagree.Not that I have any problem with the grammar or syntax, or that it’s hard to understand. No, Proposition T gets a passing grade there. It is so simple that even a child could comprehend most of it.When critics of Proposition T claim that it isn’t well

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-11549840595816724782008-10-23T19:38:00.000-07:002008-10-23T20:07:04.251-07:00RIFT Does Not Prevent More Shopping Malls

The literature for Prop T claims that the City has projected the equivalent of up to five more Santa Monica Place Malls in the future. Presumably, passage of Prop T will cut that in half, and so we’ll only have to deal with 2 ½ of these. That doesn’t strike me as much of an improvement.I don’t ever want to see any of more these mall in the City -- Not one more ever! I don’t want to see another

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-33399753602915458892008-10-22T18:51:00.000-07:002008-10-26T16:47:32.457-07:00Proposition T = Common Sense-NOT!

The other day, I noticed an aging little industrial building being rehabbed on Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica. It’s in the vicinity of the Upper School at Crossroads. Empty for at least three years now it was, until this rehab began, really falling apart. I’d guess it to be about 20,000 sq. feet it size, but it might be a bit more. A new “industrial sash” i.e., a window system composed of a

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-58407405988358278262008-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:002008-10-21T12:36:37.248-07:00Some FAQs about Proposition T and some that aren’t so frequently asked

Q: So, I don’t have time to read this whole blog, tell me again, why you’re against this?A: Because it won’t solve the traffic problem, and it will cost this city and SMMUSD much needed net revenue.Q. Whoaa!! The Yes on T folks say it won’t cost the City any money, and that the City Attorney’s own estimate says it will negligible.A. Well the City’s independent analysis forecasts a 9.4 million

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-60377167720189878302008-10-19T12:49:00.001-07:002008-10-20T15:11:50.071-07:00Proposition T in Santa Monica is my Candidate for the Worst Urban Planning Idea of the Year.

I know you are thinking. This title demonstrates a wee bit of hyperbole, that it’s a tad exaggerated. Well let me explain my reasoning:Last Spring, an earnest and eager young man approached me as I was walking out of my local Trader Joe’s, shopping bags in hand, and asked, “Would you like to fight traffic in Santa Monica? We’re gathering signatures to stop, ‘over-development’ by limiting

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-58175612957827395622008-10-19T11:25:00.000-07:002008-10-28T10:52:20.577-07:00Reason #1. Reducing commercial development to 75,000 square feet per year will not reduce traffic and may even increase it.

Actually, Proposition T don’t claim that RIFT will reduce traffic, only that it will slow the rate of traffic increase. So, of course, we’ll never know if it has worked or not, because there is no base line. How do we know how fast traffic would have increased if the measure hadn’t passed? How do we know if Proposition T reduced that rate of traffic growth by 10%, 50%, none at all, or even made

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-4324807324834770452008-10-17T15:03:00.001-07:002008-10-28T11:02:47.259-07:00Reason #2. There are more effective ways to fight traffic congestion. This method is like using a chain saw to do heart surgery.

One of the things I learned in high school art class was that skilled craftsman know what tools to use for a particular task. The more tools in one's tool-box and the more skillful one is in using those tools, the more likely it is that one would consider a variety of ways to craft an object. By the same rule, "if the only tool in your box was a hammer, every problem would look like a nail."It is

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-66254177346751931492008-10-16T21:08:00.000-07:002008-10-17T18:21:00.810-07:00More on the Revenue Implications of RIFT

Mr. Robert Moskowitz has posted a comment on this blog, complaining that the reasons that I've cited for opposing RIFT are unfair and in some cases, wrong. Ouch!!His biggest complaint with my reasoning seems to be that,"Proposition T will not reduce revenues, merely limit the growth of revenues in the future by limiting development in the future." And technically Mr. Moskowitz is correct, as

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-18429961766982680242008-10-14T12:48:00.000-07:002008-10-21T10:35:23.500-07:00More on the idea of Humanizing Lincoln and Pico Boulevards

A Mr. or Ms. Anonymous posted a comment on Reason #6, below; dismissing the idea that one could "humanize" Lincoln Boulevard, with redevelopment, claiming my suggestion would result in more traffic and higher rents for merchants. So I thought I'd share some images of what I meant, from another city attempting to humanize their own arterial highway.The city of Oceanside, CA is going through a

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-85486610519685655092008-10-14T12:34:00.001-07:002008-10-18T19:38:59.952-07:00Reason #3. This measure will not increase pedestrian safety.

One of the more specious arguments that the RIFTies have made in support of Proposition T is that passage of this measure will make the streets safer for pedestrians. The theory is a simple one: less commercial=less traffic=fewer pedestrians killed. Indeed here is what the Prop T proponents have argued:"....Prop T will make our city more safe, not less, by reducing the growth in city traffic. ...

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-73842731386974132332008-10-12T08:42:00.000-07:002008-10-13T16:54:04.085-07:00Reason #4. This measure will require cuts in services, increase in taxes, or some both to maintain a balanced budget.

If Proposition T were adopted in to law, and didn't work, it would be bad enough. If the measure were adopted into law and prevented the construction of the Purple line, and affected our ability to concentrate development where it is most needed and appropriate, it would be worse.If RIFT were to become law and precluded any chance for the transformation of Lincoln, Pico and Olympic into humane,

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-16107922246922863612008-10-11T13:46:00.000-07:002008-10-15T17:32:53.653-07:00Reason #5. This measure, will effect the ability to redevelop abandoned industrial sites in the city particularly along Olympic Avenue

Santa Monica has 400-acres of industrial land, some of it with vacant and rusting buildings occupying its terrain. The largest chunks of that land are along Olympic, a verdant, yet otherwise, pedestrian unfriendly thoroughfare, where among other things a “Paper Mate” factory once operated. Opened in 1958, it housed the company’s large stationery products operation where they made, among other

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-5959778447511273312008-10-10T17:55:00.000-07:002008-10-13T21:14:06.661-07:00Update on Reason #7: Measure R

Darrell's comment on Reason #7, is correct, the Purple Line is not funded, hence the application to the Federal government for funding under the "New Starts" program. Measure R will, if passed provide an additional source of funding for the Purple line, a much needed one, but it is not the only likely source. I strongly support Measure R, but win or lose, planning for the Purple Line will likely

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-85660748319447409972008-10-09T09:12:00.001-07:002008-10-21T10:34:09.977-07:00Reason #6 This measure will seriously affect the ability to humanize Lincoln Blvd and Pico.

Okay, show of hands if you think Lincoln Boulevard conjures up your image of a funky little beach town. How about Pico? Does the seemingly endless string of used car dealers, car repair shops, fast food joints, and car washes, hovering about 8 feet away from 7 lanes of fast moving traffic just make you yearn for those lazy days spent watching surfers from your beach chair and eating funnel cakes

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-87282761074755846502008-10-07T21:54:00.000-07:002008-10-14T11:06:50.148-07:00Reason #7. This measure will impact the likelihood of the Wilshire Boulevard subway from ever getting to Santa Monica.

When Antonio Villaraigosa was elected Mayor of Los Angeles, he also became Chair of the Board of Directors of MTA or Metro as it has rebranded itself. In that capacity he announced his intention of completing the Purple Line subway, also known as the Wilshire Boulevard extension, or the “Subway to the City.” At present the Purple Line extends from Union Station to Wilshire at Western (yes L.A.

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-56583711422161334362008-10-06T19:10:00.000-07:002008-10-20T15:18:53.395-07:00An Intermezzo to discuss the mythology of RIFT

I received a rather angry email today from a political candidate, who after questioning my motives for opposing Proposition T (i.e., because I am an architect and urban designer, I must be in league with the devil), finally got around to the real issue, writing:"....most residents do not want to make Santa Monica into SF, DC, NY or even WLA or Playa Vista. We don't need out of towners to tell us

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-9286797835379000562008-10-05T16:01:00.001-07:002008-10-11T16:50:30.788-07:00Reason #8. This measure will hurt our city's efforts to halt global warming.

Now you might ask how could a measure aimed at reducing traffic by capping commercial development contribute to global warming? Well, as suggested in previous posts, it’s because this measure simply won’t reduce traffic, not one little bit. Indeed it will more than likely increase it.How can this be you ask? Isn't it a given that less commercial development= less traffic? Isn't that what RIFT's

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-77758565778585618742008-10-04T13:21:00.000-07:002008-10-13T21:11:35.790-07:00Reason #9. RIFT is biased against lower income folks

Wow, you say, that's a fairly bold assertion. Especially in light of the fact that a cap on commercial development is likely to result in even more opportunities to build housing, which should bring down the cost of housing, and therefore make life more affordable no? In short, No. When we look at affordability, the cost of housing is just one part of a larger equation. Folks who purchased

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-49678287778507450702008-10-04T09:04:00.000-07:002008-10-14T10:02:13.905-07:00Reason #10. Proposition T-RIFT, will not stop development, just commercial development. The increased housing will generate even more traffic.

Really, you might say, how is that? Well land has value based upon what someone can use it for. So, if I'm a landowner, and I've got an underutilized asset, (such as a lot of parking, and an unused building on my land) what can I do with it? Since the only thing available is to build housing, I'll build, guess what? housing. Won't that be better you ask, since that housing will help to equalize

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-36764917484252146692008-10-03T19:00:00.000-07:002008-10-13T21:17:46.435-07:00Okay, the 11th Reason to Oppose R.I.F.T.

So I missed a big one. It turns out that while Proposition T exempts hospitals from the cap on commercial development, it does not exempt medical office space that is often needed to support those hospitals. Wow, was this a well thought-out initiative or what? There is a full page ad this week in, of all rags, the Santa Monica Mirror (hardly a tool of the developers, I think we can agree) and

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-55312998518593779132008-10-02T12:15:00.000-07:002008-10-13T21:01:20.526-07:00The Top 10 Reasons to Oppose RIFT

Okay I do not mean to trivialize this with a "Late Show" type listing, yet I do think it's a good way to start the conversation. In this post I will identify the top 10 reasons why I think that Proposition T is a bad idea. This is just an outline. In follow-up posts, I will go through each of these reasons in detail, one per post.So here they are:1. Reducing commercial development to 75,000

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196508715905159327.post-1072743783808940212008-10-02T11:37:00.000-07:002008-10-13T21:03:55.742-07:00Why this blog

I've started this blog in order to share my thoughts on Proposition T, known as RIFT, that will appear on the November ballot in Santa Monica. I believe the measure to be naive and it will not accomplish what it proposes, namely to reduce traffic. But if it were that harmless, i.e., it simply won't work, that might not be such a big deal. However, I also believe that this measure will, ultimately

Neal Paytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18095594775151635757noreply@blogger.com0